by Karl Brauer of
www.forbes.com
Honda’s 10th generation Civic
continues its 18-month roll out, with the Coupe recently launched at
Honda’s Advanced Design Studio in Downtown Los Angeles. The Coupe is the
second release in the new Civic lineup, following the sedan and ahead
of the 5-door hatchback, plus the Si and Type R performance trims. The
Civic Coupe features what Honda calls “wheels out” proportions, with all
four wheels pushed out toward the corners of the platform.
This new
design gives the car a 2.9-inch longer wheelbase and a stance widened by
1.9 inches, bumping interior space by 8.4 cubic feet versus the last
generation coupe. Its seating position has also been improved, with
occupants sitting lower in the car to provide a more planted feeling.
Like the new Civic sedan that launched in October, the Coupe is offered
with two engine choices, a 2-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine with 158
horsepower, and a 1.5-liter DOHC direct-injected turbocharged engine
with 174 horsepower. This is the first turbocharged powerplant for the
Civic, and adds 31 horsepower and 33 pound-feet of torque compared to
the outgoing model’s naturally aspirated 1.8-liter engine. While these
latest improvements in technology and design should help the Civic be a
benchmark in the compact car segment, Honda’s newest manufacturing
process is also impressive and forward-thinking.
If you’ve ever been in a U.S. spec Honda there’s a good chance it was
built here. In fact, in 2014 97% of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in
the U.S. were manufactured in North America. Honda has been building
cars on this continent for over 30 years, during which the automaker has
always maintained a commitment to the environment. From the development
of its low emissions Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion (CVCC)
engine in 1971, which could satisfy emissions requirements without the
use of a catalytic converter, to its modern fuel cell and electric
vehicles, Honda’s list of eco-innovations is lengthy, and expanding.
The latest iteration of Honda’s eco-friendly stance has resulted in an
evolution of the way it manufactures vehicles. Honda’s entire process,
from research and development to sales and operations, has been
optimized to reduce environmental impact. Honda calls this the “Green
Path” approach. The “Green Path” consists of manufacturing guidelines,
like reducing and eliminating substances of concern (SOCs) in vehicles. It also includes keeping manufacturing waste out of landfills and using
clean sources of energy. A primary (voluntary) goal of these efforts is
to help Honda reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by
the year 2050 (versus year 2000 levels).
Research & Development is the first step in building a car, and the
company’s environmental efforts start there. Honda has three primary
goals in the R&D process: to eliminate or greatly reduce substances
of concern in its vehicles, maximize the recyclability of its vehicles,
and eliminate the use of scarce materials such as Rhodium, Palladium and
Platinum in its cars (three non-earth-friendly materials typically used
as catalyzers). Honda has made significant progress in this area,
with
90 percent recyclable materials used in its modern vehicles.
Honda also focuses on energy efficiency and waste reduction as it
relates to vehicle manufacturing.
Less than one-half of 1% of Honda’s
production waste ends up in a landfill thanks to massive recycling
efforts within its manufacturing plants. Large recycling bins are
stationed throughout the facility to collect everything from paper to
styrofoam to various types of plastics.
The use of hydrogen fuel cell technology to power forklifts within
these production plants is another example of Honda’s efforts. Using
Hydrogen not only reduces the carbon footprint of the overall production
process, it also makes the air within the plant cleaner to breathe,
with water as the only exhaust element produced by these forklifts.
Honda also uses two wind turbines to help provide green power to one of
its plants; these turbines generate 10,000 megawatt hours of electricity
annually, which is enough to power 1,000 households for a year.
Painting a vehicle can generate a great deal of airborne pollution
during the manufacturing process. The pollutants are Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs) released into the atmosphere as the applied paint
cures. At its manufacturing facility in Marysville, Ohio, Honda is
investing $210 million into a new paint facility to create a new high
efficiency paint curing process. This will greatly reduce VOC emissions
and the facility will also feature “dry-booth” paint technology to catch
overspray. The new “dry booth” technology no longer requires water to
capture stray paint particles, eliminating the paint sludge byproduct of
water-based paint re-capture. The end result will be a 66 percent
reduction in the amount of VOCs generated by painting cars, and an 18
percent reduction in paint related CO2 emissions.
After assembly these models must be shipped to dealerships. The
logistics of transporting hundreds of thousands of vehicles annually can
generate a substantial carbon footprint. To counter this Honda uses a
combination of fuel efficient methods to transport cars, ranging from
load maximizing tri-level railcars (instead of semi-trucks), to
promoting the use of natural gas powered trucks for its shipping
partners. Honda now ships roughly 80 percent of its vehicles by train;
and these rail shipments are four times more efficient than truck
transports. According to Honda, rail transport of its vehicles equates
to a 60-80 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to truck
transport.
Honda’s “Green Path” extends all the way to its dealerships, where many
have taken the initiative to conserve by using more energy-efficient
lighting and climate control systems. This includes incorporating
rainwater collection systems and solar energy. Across the nation, Honda
has more than 300 dealers participating in its “Green Dealer” program.
Since the program’s inception in 2012, 11 dealerships have received
awards for cutting their energy use by at least 50 percent, and one
Honda dealer became the nation’s first electric-grid neutral new car
dealership. This dealership is able to produce more energy from its
on-site solar panels than it takes from the utility grid.
Honda’s commitment to continuing its role as a champion for the
environment is evident in the lifecycle planning of its products, from
the moment they are designed, built and shipped to the dealership to the
point they are eventually recycled. Through its actions, Honda has
shown it is serious about evolving with the times. Remember, these
efforts to reduce environmental impact have been voluntary, which
makes the capability of its performance vehicles that much easier to
enjoy, guilt-free.
Source;
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kbrauer/2016/01/18/hondas-new-civic-coupe-built-and-sold-on-hondas-green-path/#2715e4857a0b128a7a204b95
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