Honda pondering plug-in hybrid as response to U.S. policy changes?

"We are thinking about plug-in hybrids, but we aren't thinking about commercializing one right away." This is what Honda's President Takeo Fukui said in a recent interview. The automaker, which is leasing hydrogen cars in the U. S. and Japan, thinks of hydrogen as the long-term solution, but competitors and new automotive policies coming out of the White House are forcing the Japanese marque to rethink its policy. The new regulations might be the most important for Honda, because the Obama presidency has yet to say something big about hydrogen cars but speaks about tax breaks for plug-in hybrids and $25 billion in low-cost federal loans for production of advanced technology vehicles. Honda already has a joint-venture to produce batteries, albeit designated for hybrid use, that could be used to produce PHEVs in the future, Fukui said.