The use of petroleum has probably reached its peak and very soon it will run out from the engines of our automobiles. Seeing this, biggest motor making companies in the world, have found out an alternative to petroleum to fuel the engines in automobiles of the future. The alternative has not yet been completely incorporated in any vehicle but it is being used in tandem with petrol in the engines of something that is known as a hybrid vehicle. There are many different types of hybrid vehicles, although only the gasoline-electric hybrid is currently commercially available at the present time.

Honda the world’s largest manufacturer of motorbikes and ICE’s has revealed its plans of pushing powertrain hybrid vehicles into the market before launching a full-fledged electrical engine. There are two different innovations that the company has planned to launch one being the revised Civic Hybrid and the Plug-in Hybrid. The Civic Hybrid (which will be the only version of the Civic Honda plans to sell in Japan in the future) will toss its conventional Nickel metal hydride battery for a more advanced lithium ion unit, the one that is used in modern-day hand held devices like laptops and smartphones, these will be more powerful and more compact. That model is set to debut in 2012 in both the United States and Japan. That same year Honda also intends to bring a plug-in hybrid model to market, as well as a battery-electric “commuter vehicle.” It’s not yet clear if the plug-in hybrid will be a version of the Civic Hybrid, or perhaps a version of the Insight or CR-Z. But it can be expected that the model will be capable of being charged on electricity by being plugged-into special electric ports.

The Civic hybrid however features some excellent capabilities. The system combines a 1.3 liter iVTEC 4-cylinder engine with a 20-hp electric motor to deliver a total of 110 hp. The Civic can save gas by de-activating all of its cylinders when they are not needed, and uses eight spark plugs to allow greater flexibility with the firing order for more complete combustion of fuel in the cylinder. The feather in its cap is top safety rankings from NHTSA and IIHS.

Seeing this the new small car that will be an improved version of the Honda Civic can be expected hugely of. Also the company has planned of releasing a fun car in the Asian markets next year Honda says the car will prioritize competent handling, low-end torque, and a low entry price. It’s primarily designed to compete with motorcycles in Asian countries, so it probably won’t be sold in the U.S.

There are several new locally built models planned by the company that will improve cost effectiveness. A new 7000 pounds small car will be launched in the Indian subcontinent next year while Thailand will get an Eco car by 2011. The model will be launched in other emerging nations too, later in the same year.

Honda has admitted that the battery life and the charge times for the new motor vehicles still remain an issue to be addressed but says that the prototype to the Plug-in model will be available by the end of this year. But for now we know that the Plug-in model is amid size vehicle and ia well in par with the Honda Accord atleast in terms of design.

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