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Behind in Hybrid Car Race, Honda Unveils Hybrid Accord

by John O'Dell, September 17, 2004 In the race to win over Americans with gas-stingy, hybrid-powered cars, Toyota Motor Corp. has sped past Honda Motor Co. Toyota's futuristic-looking gas-and-electric-powered hybrid Prius is outselling Honda's Civic Hybrid by almost 2 to 1 in the U.S. this year. To try to catch up, Honda this week in San Diego unveiled its biggest hybrid yet: a 2005 Accord Hybrid sedan that will reach dealers' showrooms Dec. 3. Honda promises that the Accord Hybrid, with 255 horsepower, will perform better than its top-of-the-line, 240-horsepower, six-cylinder, gas-powered Accord. As the first hybrid with a six-cylinder engine, the company says, it will accelerate from a stop to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, besting the regular Accord's eight-second time. What's more, Honda's tests show the Accord Hybrid will get 30 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, versus the federal EPA rating of 21 mpg city and 30 highway for the conventional model. With an expected price of $30,000, the Accord Hybrid will cost about $3,300 more than the current EX model on which it is based. Honda sells almost 400,000 Accords annually in the U.S. and plans to ship about 20,000 […]

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California Governor Vetoes Jackson's Bill on Green' Building

by Nora K. Wallace, September 17, 2004 Governor vetoes Jackson's bill on green building saying the legislation duplicates his and other efforts on "green" building practices. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday vetoed a bill by Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson. Ms. Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, sought through AB 2311 to establish sustainable building goals for California. If made into law, the bill would have required the state to develop sustainable — or green — building goals within state building standards. "I'm really disappointed, and I think our community will be very disappointed," Ms. Jackson said. "Green building has been something Santa Barbara County has really embraced. I'm disappointed the governor has not signed this to ensure this will be the policy in the state for years to come." Such building practices, the lawmaker said, promote efficient use of energy, materials and water because they use recycled materials and encourage the use of natural light, among other efforts. In his veto message, the governor said he has already directed his administration to create a working group to develop green building initiatives for public and private buildings. "The group is currently developing recommendations for a comprehensive program to dramatically advance energy conservation as well as […]

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