Civic Hybrid MXB

Since the 1999 U.S. release of the Insight, the first hybrid automobile sold in the U.S., Honda has released the Civic Hybrid, Accord V6 Hybrid, and, in 2005, a second-generation Civic Hybrid equipped with a 3-Stage i-VTEC+IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) system. Currently, the Civic Hybrid is a consumer favorite in Japan, the U.S. and Europe. With plans for a release in China, we're making the Civic Hybrid available to more customers worldwide. In addition, we're developing a dedicated hybrid vehicle featuring even better fuel efficiency and an even more reasonable price for release in 2009.

Honda's next-generation diesel engine with new NOx catalytic converter

The basic technology of diesel engines gives them higher efficiency and better fuel economy. In Europe, diesel engines are considered the technology of choice for reducing CO₂ emissions. Since introducing the 2.2-liter 4-cylinder i-CTDi diesel Accord in 2003, Honda has introduced diesel versions of the FR-V (Edix in Japan), CR-V and Civic. A CR-V equipped with a diesel particulate filter has also been released. Honda is now developing an even cleaner next-generation 4-cylinder diesel engine for introduction in North America within the next two years, and is considering its introduction in Japan. The new engine employs an innovative catalytic converter featuring a two-layer structure: one layer adsorbs NOx from the exhaust gas and converts a portion of it into ammonia, while the other layer absorbs the resulting ammonia and uses it in a later reaction that converts the remaining NOx into nitrogen. This enables a reduction in NOx emissions sufficient to comply with the stringent U.S. EPA Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions regulations that require that diesel emissions be on par with gasoline engines. Looking to take full advantage of the superior environmental performance of this new technology, Honda is also developing a clean V6 diesel engine.

Advanced VTEC engine

Honda is further advancing its Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) technology with the development of an advanced VTEC engine that achieves even more powerful performance, outstanding fuel economy and lower emissions. The new engine combines continuously variable valve lift and timing control with the continuously variable phase control of Variable Timing Control (VTC). Honda plans to release a production vehicle equipped with the new engine by 2009. The new system permits optimum control over intake valve lift and phase in response to driving conditions, achieving improved intake efficiency for a significant increase in torque at all engine speeds. Under low to medium loads, the valves are set for low lift and early closure to reduce pumping losses and improve fuel efficiency. In combination with optimized intake components, these advances in control technology result in world-class dynamic performance and an approximate 13% improvement in fuel efficiency. The new engine is also exceptionally clean, with exhaust emissions that comply with both U.S. EPA LEV2-ULEV regulations and Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport standards for Low-Emissions Vehicles, with emission levels 75% lower than those required by the 2005 standards (Honda calculations).

In 2003 a Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system, which features cylinder idling, was introduced in the Japan-market Inspire. The system improves fuel efficiency approximately 11% as compared with a conventional Honda V6 engine without VCM. Honda will continue to implement advanced VTEC and VCM technologies in production vehicles, and will expand the application of these core technologies to further improve fuel economy.

Natural gas cogeneration system (Kumamoto Factory)

Zengcheng Factory, Guangzhou Honda

Water-based painting lines

Honda strives to produce the world's cleanest and most efficient products from the world's cleanest and most efficient factories. We are intensifying efforts at our production facilities to reduce CO₂ emissions and counter global warming. In addition to the natural gas cogeneration systems already installed at the Saitama and Suzuka factories, a fifth system that began operations at Kumamoto Factory in July 2006 is providing electrical generation efficiency of 44%, an increase of approximately 10%. In addition, the cogeneration engine's exhaust gas is used to produce steam and hot water, which is used in the factory's motorcycle painting operations, resulting in a reduction of approximately 1,039 tons of CO₂ emissions in FY2007.

At Tochigi Factory we completed the process of replacing kerosene and liquid petroleum gas (LPG) with natural gas (CNG) and reduced CO₂ emissions by 1,870 tons in FY2007. This completes the shift to natural gas at all our factories in Japan. Further, motorcycle production will soon be shifted from Hamamatsu to Kumamoto, consolidating production as part of our move to improve efficiency.

At the new automobile factories scheduled to begin production in Yorii and Ogawa in Saitama Prefecture in 2010, world-leading levels of recycling and energy efficiency are to be achieved, with per-unit CO₂ emissions 20% lower than FY2001 levels. Taking the Green Factory initiative to the next level, the new plants will be designed for maximum resource conservation and recycling.

In international operations, Guangzhou Honda's second plant, Zengcheng Factory, which began production in September 2006, features an industry first: 100% recycling of water. Achieving zero-emissions of wastewater, the facility has saved an estimated 170,000 tons of water.

The new U.S. automobile plant in Greensburg, Indiana, scheduled to open in late 2008, will feature advanced, highly efficient manufacturing systems. It will aim to eliminate landfill waste and minimize the use of VOCs through water-based painting, among other measures. The state-of-the-art facility is expected to achieve the lowest environmental impact of any Honda automobile factory in North America.

Honda will continue to improve environmental efficiency at all of its manufacturing facilities worldwide, striving for the lowest possible environmental impact.

Honda Soltec Co., Ltd.

With the FY2007 installation of its originally developed next-generation thin-film solar panels at the Suzuka and Tochigi factories, a total of 14 installations in Japan and three overseas have been so equipped. Since the panels produce electricity with no CO₂ emissions, these installations represent another step toward producing the world's cleanest, most efficient products from the world's cleanest, most efficient factories.

Honda has entered the solar power industry. Established in December 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Soltec Co., Ltd. began Japan sales in June 2007 of the integrated thin-film solar panels originally produced by Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. Made from CIGS, a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium, these next-generation solar cells feature superior solar energy conversion and manufacturing efficiency. Their manufacture requires only about half the energy of conventional crystallized silicon-based cells, reducing the CO₂ emissions associated with production. The new Honda subsidiary's plant, located on the premises of the Honda Motor Kumamoto Factory, will have an annual production capacity of 27.5MW. Full-scale production will begin in late 2007.

The next-generation FCX Concept fuel cell vehicle

In 2008 Honda will begin limited marketing in the U.S. and Japan of a next-generation fuel cell vehicle based on the FCX Concept. Featuring significant gains in both environmental and driving performance, the FCX Concept is equipped with a V Flow fuel cell platform consisting of a compact, high-efficiency fuel cell stack arranged in an innovative center-tunnel layout. This has allowed designers to create an elegant, low-riding sedan form that would have been difficult to achieve in a conventional fuel cell vehicle.

Whereas with previous fuel cell stacks the hydrogen and water formed in electricity generation flowed horizontally, the new FCX Concept features vertical-flow design. This allows gravity to assist in water management, resulting in a major improvement in water drainage, which is key to high-efficiency fuel cell stack performance. The result is stable power generation under a broad range of conditions, and higher output from a smaller package. Low-temperature startup has also been significantly improved, enabling cold-weather starts at temperatures 10°C (18°F) lower than the current FCX—as low as minus 30°C (-22°F). Efficiency improvements to major power plant components give the vehicle a range approximately 30% greater than the current FCX. The vehicle is also highly efficient, with an energy efficiency of about 60%—approximately three times that of a gasoline vehicle, twice that of a hybrid vehicle, and 10% better than the current FCX. The seats and door linings are made of a durable new Honda-developed bio-fabric that is resistant to fading from sunlight.

Home Energy Station, fuel cell vehicle

Honda began experimental operation of the Home Energy Station in 2003. Its third-generation model is about 30% smaller, yet offers about 25% more electrical power output and faster startup than the previous model. Hydrogen storage and production capacity are both improved by about 50% with the use of a new high-performance natural gas reformer. Offering a total energy solution, the Home Energy Station uses natural gas as fuel in supplying electricity and hot water to the home, and a sufficient quantity of hydrogen to power a fuel cell vehicle. In another advanced initiative, Honda has applied its revolutionary solar panel technology to create the experimental hydrogen station. Developed by Honda using CIGS, a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium, the thin-film integrated solar panels feature better electricity conversion. The electricity is passed through a particle electrolyte membrane to generate hydrogen, which is then compressed and stored for use by the fuel cell vehicle. The system boasts an energy efficiency of 52-54%. The panels can be manufactured using about half the energy required to make traditional silicon-based panels.

Hydrogen Station

Home Energy Station

Motorcycles

Improving Fuel Efficiency by Implementing Fuel Injection and Variable Cylinder Systems

SCR110

Honda has been advancing steadily with the conversion of scooters and the full range of motorcycles to 4-stroke engines, and with the implementation of electronically controlled fuel injection (PGM-FI).

Until recently, fuel injection had been limited to mid-size and larger motorcycles, but in 2004 Honda introduced the world's first 50cc scooter with electronic fuel injection (PGM-FI). For the 100-125cc class of motorcycle, so popular with customers worldwide, Honda has been introducing fuel injection for water cooled engines, along with improved structural design, enhanced local parts procurement and other measures which help lower the cost of fuel injection implementation. In 2006 we released PGM-FI-equipped motorcycles for the first time in India (Glamour FI) and China (SCR110). Plans are to offer fuel injection on more than half of all motorcycles sold worldwide by 2010.

Further, we are now developing a Variable Cylinder Management system based on automobile technology for large motorcycle engines in combination with the Hyper VTEC system. With this new system, the number of cylinders and valves activated can be variably controlled to deliver both higher fuel economy and superior driving performance. For large motorcycles, our goal is to increase fuel economy by approximately 30%^* over FY2006 levels.

* Compared with a conventional motorcycle engine of similar size and performance

Power Products

Developing Next-Generation Power Products

Piston-crank design featuring a multi-link structure

Since compact gasoline engines tend to be air-cooled and are often subject to continuous use under mid- to high-load conditions, it was thought that little could be done to prevent engine knocking as compression ratios change, and that there were limited efficiency gains to be achieved. With the goal of improving heat efficiency, Honda began development of a high-expansion-ratio engine with its own original multi-link structure. Improving on the conventional design with a connecting rod and a crank pin with four-jointed linkage, Honda developed a multi-link structure that applies the Atkinson Cycle to realize an expansion cycle longer than the compression cycle. Testing revealed a 20% increase in fuel efficiency compared to the conventional design. The results of this research were well received when presented at the Small Engine Technology Conference in San Antonio, Texas, in the U.S., in November 2006.

Bio-Ethanol Production Technology

Technology for Producing Ethanol from Soft-Biomass Developed through Cooperative Research

Cooperative research by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) and Honda R&D Co., Ltd., has resulted in the development of technology for the production of ethanol from soft-biomass^*1, a renewable resource of plant-derived material.

Since the CO₂ released in the combustion of bio-ethanol is balanced by the CO₂ captured by plants through photosynthesis and thus does not increase the total amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, bio-ethanol is of considerable interest as a carbon-neutral fuel and as an energy source that is a potential countermeasure to global-warming.

Existing bio-ethanol production, however, faces supply limits, as it is produced primarily from sugarcane and corn feedstock, which are also needed as food.

RITE and Honda have now developed the technology to produce ethanol fuel from cellulose and hemicellulose^*2, both found in soft-biomass, including inedible leaves and stalks of plants such as rice straw, which until now could not be readily converted to ethanol. This new process represents a major step forward for practical application of soft-biomass as a fuel source.

The new RITE-Honda process substantially reduces the harmful influence of fermentation inhibitors through utilization of the RITE strain, a microorganism developed by RITE that converts sugar into alcohol, and by application of Honda engineering technology that enables a significant increase in alcohol conversion efficiency compared to conventional cellulosic bio-ethanol production processes.

With a view to eventual commercial production, Honda has established a test plant at its Wako Fundamental Research Center to continue examining the market appeal and economic viability of this new bio-ethanol technology.

*1 A renewable organic resource of plant-derived, non-fossil material: the part of the plant remaining after livestock excreta, waste wood, and edible parts of the plant are removed.
*2 Primary ingredients of the fibrous part of plants, two-thirds of the natural vegetable material. With conventional technology cellulose could not be used for alcohol production.