Honda Motor Co. is dropping the hybrid version of the Accord sedan from the company line-up, in part because the Accord hybrid was never able to successfully compete with the popular Toyota Prius hybrid.
The Japanese automaker will continue to make a hybrid version of the Civic sedan.
The Accord hybrid is sold only in North America and was a flop in the automobile market.
Honda sold just 25,000 Accord hybrids since the vehicle went on sale in 2004. Honda sold only 6,100 Accord hybrids last year and 439 last month.
Toyota's Prius hybrid is the market leader with 729,800 units sold since December 1997. Toyota sold 24,000 Prius cars in May.
Honda has also canceled the slow-selling Honda Insight hybrid but promises new hybrids are on the company drawing boards.
Hybrid sales in the U.S. are up with rising gas prices and Prius sales accounted for more than 40 percent of all hybrid sold in the U.S. last year.
Hybrids like the Prius and Civic deliver as much as 50 miles per gallon or more, depending on driving conditions, but the hybrid Accord delivered fewer miles to the gallon.
