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  • Honda To Cut Car Output At Two Japanese Plants In October

    Honda To Cut Car Output At Two Japanese Plants In October

    Honda Motor Co said on Thursday it would reduce car output by up to 40% at two Japanese plants for the rest of October from its earlier plans, as the company battles with persistent supply chain and logistical problems.

    Two lines at Honda’s Suzuka plant in western Japan will cut production by about 20% in October, while its assembly plant in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, will lower production plans by about 40% for the month.

    The automaker said it would cut vehicle production at Suzuka by 40% and Saitama by 30% in early October last month.

    Honda blamed delays in receiving parts and logistics on COVID-19 outbreaks and semiconductor shortages. The output reduction will affect vehicles, including the Vezel sport-utility vehicle, Stepwgn minivan, and Civic compact car.

    Honda’s production at the two plants returned to normal for June after an earlier reduction, but it began adjusting again for July.

    Last week, Honda’s rival Toyota Motor Corp lowered its October production target by 6.3% to about 750,000 vehicles because of a shortage of semiconductors.

    That announcement came about a week after it had lowered the production target for that month to around 800,000, about 100,000 short of its average monthly production plan. (This story has been corrected to fix the month Honda began cutting production to July from August in paragraph 5)

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  • Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India To Launch Flex-Fuel Engined Motorcycle

    Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India To Launch Flex-Fuel Engined Motorcycle

    Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) confirmed that will launch motorcycles with flex-fuel engines in the next two years. Atsushi Ogata, President, MD & CEO, HMSI, said that the company’s internal target is to launch at least one commuter motorcycle with flex-fuel engine by the end of 2024, although he did not mention which model will it be. Honda already has motorcycles with flex-fuel engines, which it sells in Brazil.

    TVS Motor Company was the first two-wheeler company to launch a flex-fuel motorcycle, which was the Apache RTR 200 Fi E100 in July 2019, which could run on petrol as well as Ethanol. It had an E100 200 cc single-cylinder engine which has a power output of 20.7 bhp at 8,500 rpm and peak torque of 18.1 Nm at 7,000 rpm. TVS claimed a top speed of 129 kmph. The ethanol powered Apache gets electronic fuel injection with twin-spray-twin-port system that ensures better power delivery while burning cleaner and emitting up to 50 per cent less Benzene and Butadiene gases.

    HMSI’s announcement comes at the same time as Toyota showcasing the Corolla Altis Flex-Fuel model, earlier this month, which will be launched soon. The new Corolla Altis is powered by a 1.8-litre flex fuel engine paired with the company’s self-charging strong hybrid system. The debut marks the return of name plate to India after Toyota pulled the plug on the previous generation model in 2020. The flex fuel

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  • Honda runs out of motorcycle parts, buyers take hit

    Honda runs out of motorcycle parts, buyers take hit

    Honda, which has an 80 percent share of the motorbike market in Vietnam, faces a shortage of parts. After years of using a semi-automatic motorcycle, Huy Manh of Hanoi decided to buy an automatic one, a Honda Vision listed at VND32-35 million (US$1,400-1,530).

    But the price quoted at HEADs (Honda Exclusive Authorized Dealers) was VND44 million, and he has to wait for two or three weeks for delivery.

    The production shortage and long queues in HCMC mean many showrooms have stopped taking deposits since they cannot guarantee delivery in time. It used to take buyers only around two or three days, and up to two weeks in case of special options, to get a Honda bike delivered. The waiting time is now two weeks to a month.

    Honda blamed it on a global disruption in the supply of parts and materials. Its locally assembled models like Vision, Lead and SH Mode are the worst affected. It is impossible to know when supply would return to normal levels, it said, adding it is trying its best to ensure supply to dealers.

    Buyers have to pay 20-30 percent more than the listed prices for a motorbike. They had been hiked by 1-5 percent only last month.

    Honda sold two million vehicles last year, or 80 percent of the market share, according to the Vietnam Association of Motorbike Manufacturers, whose members include all major companies.

    Supply is more stable for other producers, but their shares are too small to satisfy the market.

    Honda’s shortage not only affects its own sales but also related businesses such as accessories, painting and maintenance.

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  • GM and Honda To Produce ‘Attainable EVs’ In Bid To Surpass Tesla Sales

    GM and Honda To Produce ‘Attainable EVs’ In Bid To Surpass Tesla Sales

    General Motors and Honda Motor Co said on Tuesday they will develop a series of lower-priced electric vehicles based on a new joint platform, producing potentially millions of cars from 2027 in a bid to beat Tesla in sales.

    The announcement expands on plans for GM to begin building two electric SUVs for Honda starting in 2024 – the Honda Prologue and an Acura model.

    The automakers said the new deal is for “affordable” EVs, including compact crossover vehicles, built using GM’s Ultium battery technology. The compact crossover is the biggest selling auto sector in the world with annual volumes of more than 13 million vehicles, the companies said.

    The companies declined to say how much they are investing as part of the new collaboration.

    GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said Tuesday at an Axios event the pricing will come in below the $30,000 price tag planned for the electric Chevrolet Equinox SUV. She said the new lower-priced vehicles would be “attainable EVs.”

    She said the new vehicle is part of GM’s plan to surpass Tesla in EV sales.

    “We have a very important goal… that by mid-decade, by 2025, we’ll sell more EVs in the U.S. than anyone else and to do that, you need to have a portfolio of vehicles,” Barra said, noting GM plans a wide range of small to large EVs. “We definitely can scale and can do it quickly.”

    The companies said they will also discuss future battery technology collaboration for electric vehicles in a push to drive down costs.

    The deal is part of GM’s push to achieve carbon neutrality in its global products and operations by 2040 and eliminate tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles in the United States by 2035.

    Honda has said it aims to reach carbon neutrality on a global basis by 2050.

    The Japanese carmaker owns a stake in GM’s Cruise self-driving car subsidiary and the carmakers are co-developing the Cruise Origin autonomous EV. The companies also have a joint venture to develop and produce hydrogen fuel-cell systems at a plant in Brownstown, Michigan.

    “Honda and GM will build on our successful technology collaboration to help achieve a dramatic expansion in the sales of electric vehicles,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said.

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  • Qualcomm Inks Car Chip Deals With Volvo, Honda And Renault

    Qualcomm Inks Car Chip Deals With Volvo, Honda And Renault

    Qualcomm Corp on Tuesday announced deals to supply chips to automakers Volvo Group, Honda Motor Co Ltd and Renault SA, accelerating its push to partner with legacy automotive firms digitizing their product lines.

    The San Diego, California, company once known for its mobile phone chips has created a range of automotive offerings, from self-driving car brains to chips that operate digital dashboards and infotainment systems. But the chips are all aimed at the same goal of helping automakers transform their vehicles into rolling computers that can be updated over the air with paid upgrades that generate revenue for carmakers long after a vehicle has left dealer lots, a business model pioneered by Tesla Inc.

    At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Qualcomm said it has reached a deal with Geely Holding-backed brands Volvo and Polestar to use Qualcomm’s “Snapdragon Cockpit” chips and an operating system from Alphabet Inc’s Google in vehicles starting later this year.

    The deal will allow Volvo’s electric SUV to tap into hands-free use of Google Assistant and navigation with Google Maps

    The deal will allow Volvo’s electric SUV, which is to begin production this year, to tap into hands-free use of Google Assistant and navigation with Google Maps. The companies said that future upgrades will be sent out over the air.

    Qualcomm also said that Honda will start using its “cockpit” chips in vehicles that will hit roads in 2023. Qualcomm also said Renault has agreed to use its automotive technology, but did not give specifics of which chips or when vehicles using them would arrive.Qualcomm said on Tuesday that it has created a new chip and system for computer vision, which uses cameras on the car and artificial intelligence to help with safety functions like automatic lane control. The new “Snapdragon Ride Vision System” uses software from Arriver, which was part of Qualcomm’s $4.5 billion purchase of automotive technology firm Veoneer Inc last year.

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  • Honda China JV Announces 120,000 Units-A-Year EV Factory

    Honda China JV Announces 120,000 Units-A-Year EV Factory

    Honda Motor and its Chinese joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor said on Thursday they would build a new factory in Wuhan to exclusively manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) from 2024.

    The factory would have a production capacity of 120,000 vehicles a year, Honda said in a statement.

    Honda, Japan’s second-largest automaker, is set to launch a new EV brand in China this year called e:N Series with plans to roll out 10 models with partners Dongfeng and GAC.

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  • Honda Sets Up Battery Sharing Subsidiary In India

    Honda Sets Up Battery Sharing Subsidiary In India

    Honda has announced setting up a new subsidiary in India, which will focus on the supply chain side of the electric vehicle industry. Called Honda Power Pack Energy India Private Limited, the new subsidiary for battery sharing service in India will offer service for small mobility players. In a statement, Honda has said that the company plans to start battery sharing service for electric auto-rickshaws from the first half of 2022 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and expand the operations in other Indian cities in a phased manner.

    Swappable batteries will offer subscribers fully-charged batteries at the stations which can be swapped in a matter of minutes, instead of waiting to charge the vehicle.

    “The company will offer battery sharing service for small mobility, which will accelerate the penetration of electric vehicles by solving three issues of electric vehicles: limited range, long charging time, and high cost of batteries,” Honda said in the statement.

    Honda’s all-new portable and swappable batteries will be called “Honda Mobile Power Pack e,” and the company’s battery sharing service subscribers can avail of the services from the nearest battery swapping station. At the battery swapping station, subscribers can swap the used batteries with fully charged ones, and need not wait for charging and can get back on the road in marginal time.

    The company has invested ₹ 135 crore, and will work closely with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who wish to integrate Honda’s battery into their vehicles, by providing necessary technical information for an interface. By expanding vehicle OEMs, applications, and service areas, the company aims to onboard more drivers which will further enhance service convenience.

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  • Honda To Launch New EV Brand In China Next Year

    Honda To Launch New EV Brand In China Next Year

    Japan’s Honda Motor will launch a new electric vehicle brand in China next year, it said on Wednesday, and will only launch battery-electric, hydrogen fuel-cell or petrol-electric hybrid vehicles therefrom 2030. Known for its fuel-efficient internal combustion engines, Honda sold over 1.6 million vehicles in China last year. The new brand will be called “e:N Series” and it plans to roll out 10 models with partners GAC and Dongfeng Motor over the next five years, Honda said.

    Its two joint ventures, GAC-Honda and Dongfeng-Honda, plan to build new EV-only assembly plants that are expected to begin production in 2024. The planned new models will use a new vehicle operating system and are being developed based on an auto product platform designed for electric vehicles.

    Honda will set up an e:N Series section in all its existing retail stores. Over time, Honda also plans to set up dedicated e:N Series retail stores but did not provide detail on that plan. Honda has roughly 1,200 Honda brand stores currently.

    China’s sales for electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles are expected to reach three million this year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said on Tuesday.

    Honda will continue to sell existing gasoline-powered models even after 2030, it said.

  • Honda Targets Annual Sales Of 70,000 Prologue Electric Vehicles In U.S. From 2024

    Honda Targets Annual Sales Of 70,000 Prologue Electric Vehicles In U.S. From 2024

    Honda Motor Co’s U.S. unit said on Monday it is targeting initial annual sales of 70,000 for its planned electric Prologue sport utility vehicle when it goes to market in 2024. Honda plans to add additional electric vehicle models as it aims to have sold a total of 500,000 electric vehicles in the United States by 2030, and to achieve 100% zero-emission vehicles sales in North America by 2040. It comes as President Joe Biden signed an executive order last month setting a target to make half of all new passenger vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles.

    The Honda Prologue is being co-developed with General Motors Co and is based on the Detroit automaker’s Ultium platform, a modular platform and battery system. Honda and GM are also co-developing an electric Acura-brand SUV. GM will assemble the Prologue and the Acura SUV — both of which will go on sale in 2024 — but Honda has not disclosed which plant will build the vehicles or the name or volume targets for the Acura.

    Following the GM-built models, Honda will introduce a series of electrified vehicles through 2030 based on the Honda-developed e-Architecture, a new EV platform led by Honda, and will assemble electric vehicles at Honda plants in North America.

    Dave Gardner, executive vice president of national operations at American Honda Motor Co, said in a statement Honda will initially focus Prologue sales on California and other states like Texas and Florida. He said Honda plans to add hybrid-electric systems to more U.S. models. “Our strategy is focused on introducing a higher percentage of hybrids in core models in the near term, making a committed effort to achieve higher volume leading to the introduction of our Honda Prologue,” Gardner said.

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  • Honda Swings To Q1 Operating Profit

    Honda Swings To Q1 Operating Profit

    Honda Motor Co swung on Wednesday to a first-quarter operating profit of 243.21 billion yen ($2.23 billion) from a 113.7 billion loss a year ago as car sales recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Operating profit at Japan’s No.2 carmaker by sales for the three months ended June 30 was double the average profit estimate of 119.2 billion yen based on nine analysts surveyed by Refinitiv.

    Honda raised its full-year forecast by 18% and now expects an operating profit of 780 billion yen in the current financial year, having previously forecast in May a 660 billion yen operating profit.

    The new forecast is higher than an average forecast of a 764 billion yen operating profit from 19 analysts polled by Refinitiv.

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  • Honda Gold Wing Tour First Batch Sold Out In India In 24 Hours

    Honda Gold Wing Tour First Batch Sold Out In India In 24 Hours

    Honda 2Wheelers India launched the 2021 Gold Wing Tour in the country last month and the first batch of the motorcycle has been sold out. The manufacturer’s flagship offering flew off the shelves as soon as bookings opened with all units sold in just one day. Honda though has not disclosed the number of units that were allocated for India under the first batch. It’s unclear at the moment when the company plans to introduce the second batch of the tourer.

    Power on the new Honda Gold Wing Tour comes from the BS6-compliant 1833cc, in-line six-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that develops 124.7 bhp at 5500 rpm and 170 Nm of peak torque at 4500 rpm. The motorcycle gets two transmission choices – a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Colour options on the motorcycle include the Pearl Glare White as well as Gunmetal Black Metallic with Matte Morion Black.

    The feature list is comprehensive on the 2021 Honda Gold Wing Tour that is aimed to maximize comfort on the road. It gets A 7-inch TFT-screen with gyrocompass navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, upgraded audio and speaker system, and Smart Key operation. The tourer is also loaded on the safety front and packs Hill Start Assist, ABS, Honda Selectable Torque Control, Dual Combined Brake System, and Idling Stop. There are four riding modes – Tour, Sport, Rain and Econ.

    The new Honda Gold Wing Tour also received visual upgrades over the older model. This includes sharper styling, all-LED lighting, and new alloys. The bike also gets a revised pillion seat for added comfort and a bigger top box. The Gold Wing is underpinned by a die-cast, aluminum frame, and a double-wishbone front suspension along with a preload-adjustable pro-link mono-shock at the rear. Braking duties are performed by twin discs at the front and a single disc at the rear with Combined Braking System.

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  • Honda Cars India To Hike Prices Across Range From August 2021

    Honda Cars India To Hike Prices Across Range From August 2021

    Honda Cars India plans to increase the prices of its entire model range effective from August 2021. As reported by PTI, the Japanese automaker has cited an increase in input cost as the primary reason for the price hike. The carmaker looks to offset the impact of a sharp increase in the procurement cost of various essential commodities like steel and precious metals. However, the company hasn’t revealed the quantum of the hike, which is expected to vary from model to model.

    This will be the third price hike this year as the company had earlier increased prices in April because of rising input costs. In January 2021, prices of Honda cars were hiked as the company cited a rise in input costs to hike prices. The carmaker has four models in its product line-up for the Indian market, including the City and the Amaze sedan.

    Rajesh Goel, Senior VP and Director, Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India today PTI, “The prices for raw materials like steel, aluminium and precious metals have increased sharply and many of them are at an all-time high, impacting our input costs significantly.”

    He further added that the carmaker is presently working out the details of the price hike which could be implemented from next month.

    “Our endeavour is to keep the cost of acquisition lower, so we are currently deliberating on how much of the additional cost we can absorb and how much will be inevitable to be passed on to our customers. The revised prices will be implemented from next month,” Goel noted.

    With input costs going up, Maruti Suzuki India last month announced that it would increase prices of its entire product portfolio in the second quarter of the financial year 2022. The Indo-Japanese auto major has already effected a price increase in April 2021.

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  • Honda’s First All-Electric SUV To Be Called Prologue

    Honda’s First All-Electric SUV To Be Called Prologue

    Honda today announced that its first new mass-market battery-electric vehicle will be called Prologue, signaling a new electrified era that will lead to the company’s vision for 100% zero-emission vehicle sales in North America by 2040. An all-new SUV coming to market in early 2024, the battery-electric Honda Prologue will be, according to the company ‘highly competitive’ but specific details about the new vehicle will be released over the coming months.

    In addition to the Honda Prologue, the company will introduce an all-electric Acura SUV in the 2024 calendar year. Both will utilize the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries based on the company’s strategic partnership with General Motors. Honda also plans to launch a new series of EV models in the second half of the decade based on a new e:Architecture, with development led by Honda.

    In April 2021, Honda global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, announced a vision to achieve carbon-neutrality for its products and corporate activities by 2050, including key targets for sales of electrified vehicles. This vision calls for the sales ratio of battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles in North America to progress from 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2035 to 100% by 2040.

    Honda has a long history in bringing electrified vehicles to market in the U.S., beginning almost a quarter-century ago with the EV Plus electric vehicle (1997); to America’s first hybrid, the Honda Insight (1999); the Honda FCX (2002), the industry’s first fuel cell vehicle in the hands of individual customers, and the Clarity series (2017). As Honda prepares for the launch of Prologue, the company will introduce hybrid-electric systems to more core models to continue to reduce CO2 emissions and bridge customers to the volume of battery-electric vehicles now in development.

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  • Honda PCX Electric Scooter Patented In India

    Honda PCX Electric Scooter Patented In India

    Honda has filed patent registrations for the PCX electric scooter in India, and rumors are abuzz about the possibility of the PCX electric scooter being considered for an India launch. Now, Honda did showcase the PCX electric scooter at the Auto Expo 2018, but filing a patent doesn’t necessarily mean the product is being considered for launch. What is of importance is perhaps the content of the patent filings, which shows a removable battery, which can be taken off the scooter and plugged conveniently at home, or at the workplace.

    The scooter comes with a 4.2 kW motor and a removable 50.4 V lithium-ion battery pack. And the battery can be charged without removing it as well, through a charging cable, but being removable just offers the added convenience. The Honda PCX offered in global markets, come with an internal combustion engine hybrid, as well as full-electric powertrains. In India though, reports suggest that the PCX electric is the one being patented.

    The PCX has an aggressive design, with neat lines, with twin-pod headlamps up front, and a tall windscreen, giving it a mini-maxi look. The scooter comes with a split floorboard, black alloy wheels, telescopic front forks, twin rear shocks, and disc brakes, with single-channel ABS. On the feature list, there’s a full digital LCD panel, remote start key, and others. Under the seat are twin battery packs, which offer a range of 40 km, while the controller unit is positioned under the floorboard.

    While the filing of the patent for the PCX electric may sound like exciting news, it’s not certain that Honda will go on to launch it. In the past, HMSI has patented several models, including the Honda Grom and others, and according to sources, sometimes these patents are used for Honda’s ongoing R&D efforts for future products in India, rather than indicate that the patented product will be launched in India. It’s early days yet to predict anything, or if HMSI is indeed working on an electric project, or planning to start working on an electric two-wheeler project for India. And that may not be the PCX electric scooter as we know it in its current form.

  • Honda Vietnam to recall cars over fuel pump issue

    Honda Vietnam to recall cars over fuel pump issue

    Honda Vietnam has announced it would recall 27,640 locally assembled and imported vehicles to resolve a fuel pump malfunction.

    The affected models are City (8,626 units), Civic (3,624 units), CR-V (10,687 units), HR-V (3,630 units), Jazz (630 units) and Accord (442 units) made in 2019. Out of nearly 28,000 defective vehicles, 19,014 were locally assembled, with the rest imported from Thailand. The recall will start this Wednesday.

    Faults related to the fuel pump installed in these vehicles may involve defective impellers. Over time, the pump may crack, deform and prevent the engine from starting or stalling.

    At present, there is no record of safety threats due to the fuel pump error in the Vietnamese market. Vehicle owners are advised to visit authorized dealerships to have their engines checked.

    Replacements will be made when spare parts become available. Spare parts and related services would be completely free of charge. For vehicles imported through non-genuine import dealerships, in case customers request, Honda Vietnam would still provide relevant information.

    Honda was the fourth best-selling auto brand in Vietnam in the first quarter of this year with 6,782 units sold, up 24.7 percent year-on-year.