To reinforce the impact of its hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity, Honda announced major electric news at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Next year, a new version of the Civic Hybrid will arrive with a lithium-ion battery. It will be followed by a plug-in hybrid. As yet only the platform has been released, however, it is designed for mid- to large-sized vehicles — think Honda CR-V and Acura RDX along with the Honda Pilot and Acura RDX.

The bigger news is the launch of an all-electric Fit. At this point it is a concept, but is slated for introduction in 2012. It uses the same motor that powers the FCX Clarity. This means 134 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque and an all-electric driving range of 160 kilometres.

There will be three driving modes, much like in the CR-Z hybrid. Sport mode speaks for itself, the Normal mode yields the 160 km-range and the Eco mode bumps that range by up to 17%.

Demonstration drives of the electric Fit begin later this year.