In his first public appearance since being announced as Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, said that the introduction of hybrid cars will be fast-tracked to better meet customers’ expectations and demands. Ito said, “Bringing hybrids quickly to customers will be a major focus of our activities…I want Honda to be a speedy company.”
Ito took over Honda last month amidst an economic recession that has only just barely left Honda profitable. Although only Honda — of Japan’s top three automakers — did not suffer a loss last year, the cards are different this time. It predicts a 95% drop in operating profits for the fiscal year ending in March 2010. Ito’s focus on hybrids will likely put Honda in a better position once the economic recession is over.
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