Honda “lacks confidence” in electric-car demand, still plans to offer EVs in the U.S.

Honda EV-N Concept

The head of research at Honda said that the company remains skeptical about electric-cars 10 years after it has stopped selling the EV-Plus battery-powered model. Nonetheless, the second-largest Japanese automaker plans to offer electric-vehicles in the United States.

“We lack confidence” in the electric-vehicle business, Tomohiko Kawanabe, president of Honda’s research and development said. “It’s questionable whether consumers will accept the annoyances of limited driving range and having to spend time charging them.”

Kawanabe said that Honda still plans to sell electric-cars in the United States to meet California emission rules, but its top priority is to improve fuel-efficiency of its current models.

“We are definitely conducting research on electric cars, but I can’t say I can wholeheartedly recommend them,” said Kawanabe.

On the other hand Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn says that he expects 10 percent of the global car market to be electric-vehicles by 2020.

Note: Pictured above is the Honda EV-N Concept that made its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.