TOKYO — Japanese car manufacturers aim to counter the twin challenges of climate change and spiralling oil prices with a range of affordable hybrid cars, which run on both petrol and electricity. Although Toyota has sold over one million of its groundbreaking Prius hybrid, the car remains a high-tech niche model: Now Japan’s second-largest maker Honda, plans to market an entry-level hybrid model of its own with the roll-out planned for next year. Engineers agreed that petrol-electrics are a stopgap until more sophisticated technology comes on stream. In the long term, manufacturers want to offer cars propelled entirely by electricity or on board fuel-cells but the hybrid does have its place in the scheme of things. Hybrid automotive engineering is currently the ‘most practical and efficient’ technology available to reduce potentially climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions, said Honda boss Tajeo Fukei, announcing a compact, five-door hybrid-powered car capable of carrying five people in comfort. The lightweight Honda car is scheduled to go on sale in Europe, North America and Japan from early 2009. Work will continue meanwhile on ultra-clean systems such as fuel cells, which use hydrogen to produce electricity with only water vapour as a […]