2013 Honda Fit EV sales expand to East Coast

Honda is expanding leases of its Fit EV from the left-coast bastions of Oregon and California to the East Coast markets of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and New Jersey. Eco-minded East Coasters still can’t buy the car outright, but they’ll now be able to lease the electric Fit for three years at a cost of $389 per month.

The Fit EV has a mpg equivalency rating of 118 and an EPA electric driving range of 82 miles. It uses a 20 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and a compact 123-hp AC motor generating a respectable 189 lb-ft of torque. The Fit EV has three driver-selectable modes for power.

The car’s onboard charger connects to any household 120-volt outlet or any available 240-volt AC power supply. According to Honda, the Fit can be charged in less than three hours when connected to a 240-volt hookup.

We drove the Fit EV back in June, and though it wasn’t exactly fast we did think it was quick off the line and “kind of fun” from behind the wheel. It was better than the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi I, at least.

"Expanding the availability of the ultra-efficient Fit EV to the East Coast is the next logical step,” said Steve Center, vice president of the American Honda Environmental Business Development Office. "Combining Honda's extensive EV experience with customers will help us prepare for growing adoption of electric vehicles."

Customers interested in learning about or leasing the Fit EV can go to www.fitev.honda.com.

By Jake Lingeman