Singapore, July 17, 2001 - Honda ICVS Singapore Pte. Ltd. announced today that it will launch a shared and eco-friendly urban transportation service in Singapore early next year.
Speaking at a press conference Mr Satoshi Toshida, Managing Director Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said "We are pleased to announce that as a result of support from Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) and the positive results of our feasibility study we intend to start providing the Intelligent Community Vehicle System(ICVS) service to eligible members early in 2002 and the first three months of operations will be regarded as a trial period. Our first year target is to utilize a fleet of 50 petrol/electric hybrid Honda CIVICs and to set up 3~6 exclusive ICVS ports (parking lots) which will be established within the CBD".
Mr Toshida added that Honda's feasibility study had concluded that Singapore was an ideal environment for ICVS due to its compact land area, the Government's commitment to tackling transportation challenges in innovative ways, and the high quality of infrastructure and human resource skills available in Singapore today.
Mr Toshida also announced that it will work with Honda's local distributor, Kah Motor Co. Sdn. Bhd, in the aspect of vehicle set-up and maintenance. "In the coming months," Mr Toshida explained, "we will be attracting the attention of potential users, or members, and undertaking research to identify the number of potential members and their regular travel patterns in and around the CBD. Interested members of the public can visit the ICVS website at www.hondaicvs.com.sg for the registering procedure . "
The ICVS service is designed to offer its members a flexible and relatively short-term vehicle rental, without the necessity of reservations, that includes a very affordable pricing structure based on annual fees and time/distance based user charges. By obtaining the maximum utilization of the vehicles in the system, it is able to offer the lowest possible membership costs while at the same time reducing parking problems and their related environmental impact.
The ICVS concept was first introduced by Honda in 1994 and has undergone various tests both in Japan and the United States. Between October, 1998 and June, 2000 a public demonstration of ICVS was conducted at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan utilising four types of specially-developed ICVS vehicles.
From February to November, 1999 Honda co-sponsored a mass transit station ICVS concept experiment called Carlink with the University of California-Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, using 12 natural gas powered Honda CIVICs. And since March, 1999 Honda has been co-sponsoring the IntelliShare programme, a free rent-and-return ICVS experiment with the University of California-Riverside using 15 Honda EV Plus electric vehicles. Honda ICVS Singapore Pte. Ltd. was established in Singapore in February, 2001 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. to research and develop the commercial introduction of the Honda ICVS service in Singapore.