Products
Honda strives to offer products featuring advanced technologies that exceed the targets for fuel efficiency and emissions set by governments around the world. Meeting the demand for transportation and superior environmental performance, Honda strives to provide truly sustainable mobility.
In the product domain, we're focusing primarily on the following three objectives:
1. Reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency
2. Developing hybrid vehicle technology
3. Promoting alternative fuel vehicles
Reducing Environmental Impact
North America (U.S.)
•Honda's early introduction of Tier 2 Bin 5-compliant vehicles
Note: To comply with Tier 2 Bin 5 regulations, NOx emissions must be 75% lower than mandated by the previous regulations
Civic Coupe (US)
In the United States, Honda has consistently led the automobile industry in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for cars and light trucks combined. Honda is also a leader in clean emissions: all 2007 Honda and Acura vehicles comply with stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards.
Europe
CR-V (Europe)
In Europe, starting with the remodeled Civic introduced in 2001, Honda has been continually improving emissions performance, achieving Euro IV compliance with each major vehicle. In addition, we have introduced hybrid vehicles, clean diesel engine vehicles and other models featuring superior fuel efficiency to help reduce product CO2 emissions. We introduced an Accord equipped with Honda's independently developed 2.2-liter diesel engine in December 2003. New versions of the FR-V (Edix in Japan) and Civic went on sale in January 2006, featuring this new diesel technology. And in January 2007 we released a CR-V equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to achieve better fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions.
Asia/Oceania
Civic (Thailand)
In Thailand, since the start of local production and sale of the Jazz (called the Fit in some countries), all new vehicle releases, including the new Civic in 2005 and the Thai-made CR-V in 2006, have complied with Euro IV emissions standards before they took effect.
China
City (China)
All Honda vehicles marketed in China already comply with Euro IV-level emissions standards. The new Civic Hybrid was launched in 2007, adding to a lineup that includes the City (Fit Aria in Japan), a category leader in fuel efficiency, and the highly efficient new Civic.
Evolution of the Hybrid
In November 1999 Honda introduced the Insight, featuring the Honda Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, at the time the world's most fuel-efficient production gasoline vehicle. Then, starting with the North American market in December 2001, Honda introduced the Civic Hybrid, followed in December 2004, by the introduction of the Accord Hybrid featuring a V6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management. Next, in November 2005 the new Civic Hybrid was released, featuring the new Honda Hybrid System (3-Stage i-VTEC+IMA). Striving to meet demand in key world markets, Honda is now developing a dedicated hybrid family car that will offer better fuel efficiency at an even more reasonable price, making hybrid technology accessible to more customers worldwide and further contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
Offering More Alternative Fuel Vehicles
North America (U.S.)
Q'orianka Kilcher and the Honda FCX
Civic GX (U.S.)
Honda has delivered some 23 FCX fuel cell vehicles to customers in the U.S. (plus 11 in Japan, for a total of 34 vehicles). In 2005 it leased a vehicle to an individual customer for the first time. In 2007 a 17-year-old movie actress, Ms. Q'orianka Kilcher, became the world's youngest FCX customer. Meanwhile, in Torrance, California, Honda continues trial operation of the Home Energy Station, which generates hydrogen from natural gas for use in fuel cell vehicles and supplies electricity and hot water to homes.
In 1998 Honda introduced the Civic GX natural gas vehicle, followed by a second-generation model in 2001. Introduced in 2006, the third-generation model Civic GX offers significantly better highway mileage. While further developing natural gas vehicles, Honda is also promoting broader application of the Phill™ natural gas home refueling appliance, facilitating commercial viability of this environmentally responsible alternative fuel.
South America (Brazil)
Flexible Fuel Fit (Brazil)
In Brazil, where ethanol derived from sugar cane is an increasingly popular fuel, in the mid-1980s Honda began offering motorcycles and automobiles that run on a mixture of ethanol and gasoline. In November 2006 Honda introduced a flexible fuel E100 version of the Civic that can run on up to 100% ethanol.
Other Product Introductions
The Climate Energy freewatt™ (the Honda cogeneration unit is shown on the right)
Launched in Japan in March 2003, the Honda compact household cogeneration unit, distributed through utility companies, has reached cumulative sales of more than 45,000 units. In a joint venture in the U.S. with Climate Energy, Honda began sales in March 2007 of a compact household cogeneration system known as freewatt™. Initially, sales are being targeted at customers in the northeastern U.S., where the winters are relatively cold, before expanding to other cold weather areas of the U.S.
