Honda today announced that a gasoline-electric hybrid version of their new 2008 Honda Accord will not be produced. "We have found that our hybrid system works better on smaller cars," said Chris Naughton, a Honda spokesman. This announcement comes just days after Honda was awarded the “Greenest Automaker” by the UCS.

Honda, however, maintains that they are committed to producing fuel-efficient vehicles, including a new hybrid to be introduced in 2009. The car will likely be compact or sub-compact in size, possibly smaller than the current Honda Civic Sedan. The Honda Accord, in contrast, is larger than the Honda Civic, and therefore has competed less well with the market-dominating Toyota Prius.

The current Accord Hybrid has sold rather poorly in North America: only 25,000 sold since 2004, and just 6,100 sold in 2006. The Toyota Prius, however, has sold surprisingly well: 729,800 units since its introduction in December 1997.

Honda will continue to produce the hybrid version of the Honda Civic, which has sold 153,000 units since going on sale in 2001 in Japan, Europe and North America. Until 2009, the Honda Civic hybrid will remain Honda's leading competitor against the successful Toyota Camry hybrid and Toyota Prius.