President and Director of Honda R&D Co. Ltd., Mr. Tomohiko Kanawabe, interviewed at Geneva Motor Show 2011

On Honda's R&D Strategy:

Honda has always been in the forefront of developing technologies which provide a positive contribution to people's lives and to society as a whole and this will never change.

So in our R&D activities, Honda will always strive to be a world leader in all manner of technologies which are really useful for mankind. This is nothing new - it was the philosophy of our founder Sochiro Honda - and it will continue to shape the direction of our R&D in the future.



On how Honda's sporting/racing heritage be incorporated in future models:

Motor racing and sports cars have always been an essential part of Honda's DNA. It's too early to talk about specific replacements for sporting models such as the Civic Type R, the S2000 and the NSX but you can be sure we are actively involved right now in evaluating and analysing just how our sporting DNA can be incorporated into our future model range.

On safety:

Honda has always been a leader in the field of safety technology and we intend to continue to lead in the future. Last year we received a Euro NCAP Advanced award for our CMBS - Collision Mitigation Brake System and of course this is a great honour. But for the future we believe that what we call "intelligent technology" will become more and more important in terms of automobile technology and so we have established the Honda Research Institute near Frankfurt whose specific brief is to develop these fundamental new technologies in collaboration with outside institutions such as Universities. So this is where we are directing our efforts in the field of automobile safety for the future.

On Honda's vision for sustainable mobility:

The whole concept of sustainable mobility is vitally important. In the short term our approach is to improve the efficiency of the internal combustion engine - both petrol and diesel engines - but this is not enough to really talk about sustainable mobility.

For that we need to think about renewable energies and also renewable energy carriers such as electricity or hydrogen to ensure that we can provide the most appropriate energy source for different requirements.

So therefore Honda is also putting a great deal of effort into developing these renewable energy technologies in an environmentally friendly manner. For example, Honda is already producing solar panels so we can produce electricity from solar energy and this energy can then be used to produce hydrogen very efficiently. We are also working on technologies to produce Ethanol as an energy carrier. So our approach is that it's not just the engine and powertrain that need to be optimised but we also have to think about the energy production side of the equation. When we reach that point, then we can really start talking about sustainable mobility.

ENDS

Japan

Damage was widespread in the Tochigi area, where Honda has a number of operations. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has confirmed the fatality of a Honda R&D associate at the Tochigi R&D Center, when a wall collapsed in a cafeteria. The associate was male, 43 years old.
In addition, 17 Honda associates were injured in the Tochigi area from collapsing ceilings and other damage during the earthquake (initial reports put the number of injured at 30).

Japan Operations

Honda had previously announced the suspension of production through Sunday, March 27. Today, Honda decided to extend the suspension of the production of finished units of automobiles at Sayama Plant at Saitama Factory (Sayama, Saitama) and Suzuka Factory (Suzuka, Mie) through Sunday, April 3, 2011.
Concerning operations from April 4 on, Honda will make decisions based on the status of the recovery of Japanese society as a whole as well as the supply of parts. While most of our Japan-based suppliers are making progress to restart production, and many either have or are ready to resume parts production, there are a few suppliers that have yet to resolve the challenge to resume their production. In those cases, Honda is working with its suppliers to help reestablish their operations, while evaluating other possible sources for those parts in the supply chain. Please understand that Honda is making every effort to work toward a full recovery as quickly as possible. We appreciate everyone's understanding during these challenging times.
Honda will resume motorcycle and power product production at Kumamoto Factory (Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto) on Monday, March 28.

Recovery of Operations in the Tochigi Area

The impact of the earthquake was more severe at the Tochigi Factory (Moka, Tochigi), however, repair and inspection activities were completed for almost all facilities and equipment.
At other operations, including the Automobile R&D Center (Tochigi) of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. and Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., associates who will work on the restoration started returning to work. However, based on the expectation that it will take several months until the complete recovery of these facilities, Honda will temporarily transfer some functions such as automobile product development, development of manufacturing technologies and procurement to Honda operations in other locations such as Sayama, Suzuka, and Wako.
Honda is cooperating with electricity conservation efforts and rolling blackout measures, prioritizing the relief and recovery of affected areas. Our decision to resume production could be affected by the needs of Japanese society as a whole.
Honda has made contact with all Tier 1 suppliers in Japan and is collecting information from them regarding the status of their operations.

Aid

With the hope to contribute to the earliest possible relief and recovery of affected areas, Honda will provide the following aid:
From Honda in Japan, 300 million yen (approximately $3.7 million) toward the relief and recovery effort.
A total of 1,000 generators (gasoline-powered and home-use gas canister-powered), along with 5,000 gas canisters. Honda also will dispatch its staff to explain the use of this equipment.
The Honda family of companies in North America will establish special matching gift programs for their associates for donations to the Red Cross to aid the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Donations from associates will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis, with no personal or corporate donation limit. Honda employs more than 29, 000 associates in North America.
American Honda has established a special website to channel donations to the American Red Cross* from customers, suppliers and others interested in supporting the Japan disaster recovery effort through the Red Cross. Originally established to accept donations from Honda and Acura automobile dealers, and Honda motorcycle and power equipment dealers, Honda has opened the site to the public who may wish to donate at: http://american.redcross.org/hondaacura-emp

Honda would like to express its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Japan, and our sincere hopes for the earliest possible relief and recovery of the affected areas.

Japan Operations

• Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will resume limited production of finished automobiles at approximately 50% of the original production plan on April 11, at the Sayama Plant at Saitama Factory (Sayama, Saitama) and the Suzuka Factory (Suzuka, Mie), which will bring all Honda auto plants in Japan back into production. These two manufacturing facilities have been shut down since the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11.
  
  
• Honda Motor began limited production of component parts for North American plants Monday, April 4 at several Honda plants in Japan. However, since the component situation remains fluid, production of parts resumed at approximately 50% of the original production plan. Honda will carefully manage the situation and manage its operation accordingly.
  
  
• Honda will continue to make decisions based on the status of the recovery of Japanese society as a whole as well as the supply of parts. There are still many questions relating to the supply of parts manufactured by other suppliers in Japan and shipped directly from suppliers in Japan to Honda's suppliers in North America.
  
  
• While most of our Japan-based suppliers have resumed production, there are a few suppliers that have yet to resolve the challenge to resume their production. In those cases, Honda is working with its suppliers to help reestablish their operations, while evaluating other possible sources for those parts in the supply chain. Please understand that Honda is making every effort to work toward a full recovery as quickly as possible. We appreciate everyone's understanding during these challenging times.
  
  
• Honda resumed motorcycle and power products production at Kumamoto Factory (Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto) on Monday, March 28.

Recovery of Operations in the Tochigi Area

• The impact of the earthquake was more severe at the Tochigi Factory (Moka, Tochigi), however, repair and inspection activities were completed for almost all facilities and equipment.
  
  
• At other operations, including the Automobile R&D Center (Tochigi) of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. and Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., associates who will work on the restoration started returning to work. However, based on the expectation that it will take several months until the complete recovery of these facilities, Honda has temporarily transferred some functions such as automobile product development, development of manufacturing technologies and procurement to Honda operations in other locations such as Sayama, Suzuka, and Wako.
  
  
• Honda is cooperating with electricity conservation efforts and rolling blackout measures, prioritizing the relief and recovery of affected areas.

Aid

With the hope to contribute to the earliest possible relief and recovery of affected areas, Honda will provide the following aid:

• From Honda in Japan, 300 million yen (approximately $3.7 million) toward the relief and recovery effort.
  
  
• A total of 1,000 generators (gasoline-powered and home-use gas canister-powered), along with 5,000 gas canisters. Honda also will dispatch its staff to explain the use of this equipment.
  
  
• The Honda family of companies in North America will establish special matching gift programs for their associates for donations to the Red Cross to aid the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Donations from associates will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis, with no personal or corporate donation limit. Honda employs more than 29, 000 associates in North America.
  
  
• American Honda has established a special website to channel donations to the American Red Cross* from customers, suppliers and others interested in supporting the Japan disaster recovery effort through the Red Cross. Originally established to accept donations from Honda and Acura automobile dealers, and Honda motorcycle and power equipment dealers, Honda has opened the site to the public who may wish to donate at: http://american.redcross.org/hondaacura-emp

Sursa: WOT



For the first time, Honda will be fielding entries in the Pikes Peak race in Colorado. Its entries will take two different forms — a Spec-B rally car based off of the Fit hatchback, and a off-road racer that has its roots in the Pilot crossover.
The HPD B-Spec Rally Fit is identical to the one Team Honda Research-West showed last year at the 24 Hours of Thunderhill. That car received a full roll cage, new suspension, camber adjusters, brake lines, brake pads, and a less restrictive exhaust to make it race-ready. The Rally Fit will pack the same 1.5-liter inline-four cylinder producing 117 hp and 106 lb-ft. To ready it for Pikes Peak, HPD raised the suspension and added large 205/50R15 R1 tires. Honda R&D engineer James Robinson will take the place behind the wheel at the event, and the B-Spec Rally Fit will be run at rallycross events later this year following its Pikes Peak debut.
Honda’s second entry is the HPD Desert Pilot. Far from a stock Pilot crossover, HPD has built this off-road racer around a tubular space-frame chassis, fitted four-wheel independent suspension with King Shocks, and dressed it in bodywork that replicates a production Pilot. The wheel arches have stretched to cover the 35-inch tires, and the truck wears Baja Design lights. Powering the Desert Pilot is a modified 400-hp version of Honda’s 3.7-liter V-6 — a far cry from the250 hp from the stock 3.5-liter V-6 found in the production vehicle. That engine is mounted midships in the Desert Pilot, smack dab behind the driver — who also is blessed with a central driving position.
Piloting the Desert Pilot will be Gavin Skilton and his California Race and Rally team. Following Pikes Peak, they will go on to race the HPD Pilot in a number of Class 6 off-road races, concluding their seasonwith the Baja 1000in November. The HPD Desert Pilot replaces the CR-R Ridgeline, a previous two-time winner of the Baja 1000.

Row upon row of Honda subcompacts are to be thoroughly scrapped as Honda begins post-flood clear up in Thailand.

Hundreds died and billions of dollars' worth of damage was caused in Thailand's worst flood in 50 years, and amongst the thousands of businesses affected by the natural disaster, Honda was hit pretty hard.As part of the automaker's recovery efforts in Thailand where its Ayutthaya factory churns out Brio and City compacts for the domestic market as well as the Jazz (better known as the Fit in the US), Honda has begun scrapping 1,055 cars damaged in the flooding.



Scrapping over salvaging has been chosen to eliminate the chance of damaged cars being refurbished and sold on to an unwitting public."While we were able to relocate many new cars that were awaiting shipment to a safe area, 1,055 vehicles that remained in the plant were finally damaged by the flood," said Pitak Pruittisarikorn, executive vice president of Honda Automobile Thailand. "We will not sell any of the damaged cars to customers, or sell or reuse any of the parts."Due to extensive damage caused by the tragic event, Honda estimates six months' production will also be lost.

As the photos show, the cars are being thoroughly disassembled and scrapped, with certain parts, such as those made from aluminum, copper and plastic, to be recycled, and others such as steel components to be melted down. By the end of the process, no remnant of a car will be left.