Electric cars and plug-in hybrid vehicles have been at the center of most automotive companies’ recent research development effort. It’s no secret that consumers today want fuel-efficient green cars, and they wanted them yesterday. This has led car companies to scramble to catch thousands of buyers waiting for the right electric or hybrid car for their daily lives.

Recently, Honda Motor Company has announced its detailed plan for the company’s drive to develop fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly automobiles for the US and Japanese markets. An add-on from the company is expected to go on sale in 2012. They will use the next-generation Honda Civic model to introduce the company’s first hybrid with a lithium-ion battery. The Honda Civic is one of the company’s most successful cars and will be a great way to start winning over customers concerned about the fuel efficiency of their cars.

Honda’s aggressive new plan to introduce new fuel-efficient cars in the United States includes participation from Stanford University, Google Inc. and the city of Torrance, CA. Torrance is expected to get the first plug-in hybrid test vehicle in the United States this year. The plan appears to be reaching its final stages as Honda rolls out its test vehicles in the United States and Japan. The company should see immediate success with the introduction of the Civic hybrid due to the cars’ already high sales numbers and well-known brand name.