American Honda Motor Co. Has stopped producing battery-powered electric cars, becoming the first major automaker to acknowledge that it sees no future in marketing the costly vehicles, the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday. Torrance, California-based American Honda said its EV Plus has outlived its usefulness as a research platform and did not catch on with the general public. The firm said most EV Plus leases were to businesses and government agencies required by law to use lower-emission vehicles.