The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Monday, August 9, 2010

Japan: Honda's new Fit hybrid compact. ..[ 1605 ]

Honda to release cheapest hybrid vehicle in Japan

Honda's new Fit hybrid compact. (Photo courtesy of Honda Motor 
Co.)
Honda's new Fit hybrid compact. (Photo courtesy of Honda Motor Co.)

(Mainichi Japan) August 9, 2010
Honda Motor Co. is set to release the country's cheapest hybrid vehicle in October, the company has announced.

The automaker aims to expand sales of its new "Fit" hybrid compact car by setting its price at around 1.6 million yen -- about 300,000 yen cheaper than the Honda Insight hybrid that hit the market in February last year.

Powered by a hybrid drive system combining a 1.3-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor, Honda's new eco-friendly car will offer excellent fuel efficiency equivalent to that of its predecessor Insight, at around 30 kilometers per liter. 
Furthermore, the hybrid edition will only be some 400,000 yen more expensive than the conventional Fit gasoline vehicle (approximately 1.2 million yen) -- which travels around 24 kilometers per liter -- through the sharing of parts with Insight and other cost saving efforts.

Japan's new car market was hit hard by the economic downturn triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, but has gradually been recovering thanks to the government's subsidy program for eco-car purchases. 

However, with the incentive program scheduled to expire at the end of September, some market insiders are concerned that the nation's new car sales will slow down once again.

Amid the situation, Honda hopes to leverage its sales by launching the low-end hybrid model and catch up with Toyota Motor Corp., which leads the eco-car market with its popular New Prius hybrid car.


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