Honda's Insight, CRZ hybrids to sell in China by 2012

Shanghai, April 23 (Gasgoo.com) Honda Motor plans to sell its Insight and CRZ hybrid models in China by 2012, company CEO Takanobu Ito said today at the opening Beijing auto show, Bloomberg reported.

The No. 2 Japanese carmaker also will also produce and sell its Crosstour luxury crossover wagon (a derivative of the Accord sedan) in the Chinese market, now the world's largest, by the end of this year. The Crosstour will be built in China at joint venture Guangzhou Honda.

Government subsidies and possible sales tax cuts may help boost total sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in China to 300,000 units in 2011 from 5,000 last year, industry experts said. China is expected to announce details of incentives for clean-energy vehicles in July.

Honda will import the Insight and CRZ hybrids from Japan to the Chinese market and will also sell Acura hybrids in China within 3 years. The company sold 193 units of its hybrid Civic compact model in China last year.

In China, Nissan Motor will start selling its Leaf electric car from 2011, General Motors will sell its Volt plug-in car next year, and Toyota Motor recently started offering a hybrid Camry sedan.