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2000
ICOTY Awards -
ECO Friendly
Most
Likely to Change the World - Honda Insight
 Who
says cute can’t be practical? Case in point: the Honda
Insight, the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle sold
in the States. While engine output won’t make you eyes
bleed, the 1-liter 3-cylinder engine, good for 70 miles
per gallon, won’t make your wallet bleed, either.
Honda’s
Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system is the brains behind this compact runabout.
No external power supply is needed for recharging, which means no down time waiting
for the vehicle to cycle. Blending a small gas engine with a permanent-magnet
electric motor allows the Insight to travel worry free down the road. Honda
knows no one wants to surrender creature comforts, so its all there, as well:
power doors and windows, remote entry, AM/FM stereo with cassette, rear defroster,
and even intermittent wipers. And the best part is this isn’t a $40,000 vehicle
that needs subsidies; starting price for the Insight is $18,800—definitely
something that will change our world for the better.
Runner-Up:
Toyota Prius
Third
Place: Ford Ranger
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