Archive for May, 2009
Honda To Produce Fuel Cell Vehicles For Consumers Next Year
The current global warming threat and increasing prices of gasoline has led car manufacturers to develop new technologies to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel. Reducing greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming is also a major concern for car manufacturers. Currently the most popular alternative engine technology is the gaselectric hybrid technology used widely by Japanese car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda.
The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle today with celebrities known to own and drive it all around town. Another technology though more fuel efficient than hybrids is being developed by Honda. The FCX fuelcell vehicle is the first U.S. government approved fuelcell vehicle. Currently the said vehicle is being tested by fleets and a couple of consumers. Next year though Honda promises to produce a limited number of this environment friendly vehicle.
The announcement came after General Motors also publicized that they will be letting consumers test 100 units of the fuelcell powered Chevrolet Equinox. The modified SUV from General Motors also gained the approval of the government. Both the revised Equinox and the FCX are powered by electricity. The electricity which drives the vehicles is produced by the fusion of oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen is taken in by the fuel cell stack from the surrounding air while hydrogen is purchased from refilling stations offering it. Currently that is a problem being faced with the development of these hydrogenfueled vehicles.
Across the country there are limited numbers of refilling stations offering hydrogen fuel. Already there are proposed solutions to this problem. One of these is the involvement of industrial gas suppliers. Companies such as Praxair and Air Products could make their resources available to fuelcell car owners.
While the use of fuel cell technology eliminates the emission of harmful greenhouse gases it is expected that fuel cell technology is years away from being practical for ordinary consumer use. Fuel cell vehicles are more environment friendly than hybrid vehicles since the result of the fusion of hydrogen fuel and oxygen is only water. The production of fuel stack though is costly and fragile. With more money being poured into the development of these vehicles it can be expected that development of tougher fuel cell stacks for a lower price will be a reality.
For the 2008 FCX Honda announced that they will be using a lithiumion battery pack that is known to be lighter and more powerful than the nickelmetal hydride batteries used by current hybrid vehicles. The second largest Japanese car manufacturer also announced that the production FCX will be equipped with a smaller fuel cell stack. The current FCXs use the entire floor space to accommodate its fuel cell stack. For the next year the fuel cell stack will only occupy the space under the armrest between the driver and the passenger. The light lithiumion battery pack will be placed behind the rear seat.
The company did not release a statement whether they will be redesigning the exterior of the sleek FCX for the consumer market. Currently the FCXs design stands out with its unique headlight and taillight configuration which looks good even without a set of Auto Ventshade accessories. The FCX not only looks good but also delivers good value for money in terms of fuel efficiency. According to Honda the FCX has a mileage rating of 68 mpg if equated to gasoline. While hydrogen costs more per gallon the efficiency of fuel cell technology makes the cost per mile less than that of gasoline.
Aside from the limited production FCX Honda also announced that they will be offering a unique hybrid vehicle which will cost less than the hybrid version of the Honda Civic in the near future. The company said that the new hybrid will not replace the Civic hybrid in its lineup. Instead the said new hybrid will augment the Civic much like what the Prius is to the Camry hybrid.
About the writer: Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.
Honda Officially Breaks Ground For Indiana Plant
Honda Motor Co. officially breaks ground for its 550 millionworth plant in Indiana. The groundbreaking ceremony of the new automobile plant known as the Honda Manufacturing of Indiana LLC HMIN was held yesterday. The new plant with 2000 associates will produce the popular Honda Civic sedan and the mass production will start in fall next year.
The HMIN’s first president will be Yuzo Uenohara who previously held the position of senior vice president at the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama LLC. The company first announced its plans to build Indiana plant in June 2006. The building of a new plant is aimed at meeting the growing customer demand.
The HMIN will be the automakers seventh auto plant in North America and one of 17 major Honda manufacturing facilities in the said territory. It is also aimed at bolstering Honda’s total North American automobile production capacity from 1.4 million units to over 1.6 million units in 2008 as well as boost the employment in North America to more than 37000 associates and capital investment in North America to more than 9 billion.
“In Indiana we will create an efficient and flexible manufacturing environment that is a great place for everyone to work” said Koichi Kondo the president CEO of American Honda Motor Co. Inc. and chief operating officer of Honda’s North American Regional operations. “In this way we are breaking ground for more than an auto plant. We are breaking new ground in our relationship with the people of Indiana and our customers in America.”
“Over the years we will ask the associates of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana for their ideas to make our products better and the plant the safest place it can be” said Uenohara the new president of Honda Manufacturing of Indiana. “This is the Honda way and this spirit will guide us at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana.”
The hiring of the company for the Indiana facility will not start until late this year. Advertisements started February 21. The advertisements cover nonproduction positions like automotive engineering information technology purchasing and administration. Said advertisements received over 6000 responses. Moreover the hiring is expected to start in late 2007.
Indiana plants major production processes include stamping welding painting plastic injection molding subassembly as well as final assembly operations. The assembly and mass production of Honda Civic sedan for the model year 2009 is set to begin in fall 2008.
In 2006 the automaker has manufactured more than 1.16 million Honda and Acura passenger cars and trucks in North America. In that same year 77 percent of over 1.5 million Honda and Acura vehicles were purchased by American consumers. A number of purchasers consider auto addons like Weathertech mats and other accessories to ensure utmost protection without compromising style.
The Honda Civic sedans to be produced in Indiana will be equipped with fuelefficient fourcylinder engines manufactured in Anna Ohio. Majority of the Civic sedan parts will be manufactured by the automakers current base of over 600 North American suppliers. In addition the automaker has purchased more than 17.6 billion in parts and materials from suppliers in North America in the previous year.
About the writer: Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.
Honda Models Dominates Apeal Study
The top model segments of the recent 2007 Automotive Performance Execution and Layout APEAL Study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates was dominated by Honda models. Four vehicle models from the Japanese automaker ranked as the highest in their respective categories including the Honda Fit SubCompact Car tied with Toyota Yaris equipped with Toyota radiator Honda CRV Truck / MultiActivity Vehicle MAV Segments Honda Ridgeline Midsize Pickup and the Honda Odyssey for the Van segment. In addition the 2007 Honda Civic also earned an award ranked 3rd in the Compact Car segment.
The 2007 Automotive Performance Execution and Layout APEAL Study is based on the survey results conducted by J.D. Power staff. The staff surveyed customers who purchased or leased 2007 model year vehicles and asked their assessment for the vehicle during the 90 days of ownership.
According to Neal Oddes director of product research and analysis at J.D. Power and Associates:
“Vehicle models with strong customer appeal tend to be in higher demand which diminishes the need for dealers to incentivize to boost sales. Offering larger incentives decreases the profitability of vehicles so it’s important for manufacturers to incorporate those ‘musthave’ features and design elements that will entice buyers which also reduces the need for large customer cash rebates.”
Oddes added: “Whether due to fresh designs or innovative features APEAL scores tend to be highest for models when they are first introduced. It’s essential for manufacturers to get newvehicle launches right since vehicles with high appeal scores generally command a higher gross profit and sell more quickly. Two of the redesigned models the MercedesBenz SClass in a tie and Honda CRV also earned awards in the 2007 Initial Quality Study and are examples of how manufacturers can learn from preceding models to improve in both initial quality and appeal.”
Meanwhile here is the complete list of the Top Three Models per Segment in the 2007 APEAL Study.
SubCompact Car
Highest Ranked: Honda Fit Tie Toyota Yaris Tie
Nissan Versa
Compact Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen Jetta
Volkswagen Rabbit
Honda Civic
Compact Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Volkswagen GTI
Scion tC
Volkswagen Eos
Compact Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Porsche Cayman
Porsche Boxster
MercedesBenz CLKClass
Entry Premium Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 3 Series
Lexus IS 250/IS 350
Acura TL Tie
Audi A4 Tie
Midsize Premium Car
Highest Ranked: MercedesBenz EClass
Lexus GS 350/GS 430/GS 450h
BMW 5 Series
Large Premium Car
Highest Ranked: MercedesBenz SClass
BMW 7 Series
Lexus LS 460
Premium Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: BMW 6 Series
MercedesBenz SLClass
Chevrolet Corvette
Midsize Sporty Car
Highest Ranked: Ford Mustang
Mitsubishi Eclipse
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Midsize Car
Highest Ranked: Nissan Altima Sedan
Volkswagen Passat
Saturn AURA
Large Car
Highest Ranked: Hyundai Azera
Toyota Avalon
Dodge Charger
Truck / MultiActivity Vehicle MAV Segments
Compact MAV
Highest Ranked: Honda CRV
Mazda CX7
Toyota FJ Cruiser
Midsize MAV
Highest Ranked: Ford Edge
Saturn Outlook
GMC Acadia
Large MAV
Highest Ranked: Nissan Armada
Chevrolet Tahoe
Chevrolet Suburban
Midsize Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: BMW X5
Audi Q7 Tie
MercedesBenz MClass Tie
Large Premium MAV
Highest Ranked: Cadillac Escalade EXT Tie MercedesBenz GLClass Tie
Lincoln Navigator
Large Pickup
Highest Ranked: GMC Sierra LD
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Silverado LD
Midsize Pickup
Highest Ranked: Honda Ridgeline
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Toyota Tacoma
Van
Highest Ranked: Honda Odyssey
Kia Sedona
Hyundai Entourage
About the writer: Kaye Leery is has a degree in Information Technology. She enjoys her profession as an IT consultant. She is also passionate about writing and plans to pursue a Creative Writing workshop in Iowa.