New Civic, Hybrid Accords Key for Honda in 2013

by Aaron Foley of www.wardsauto.com

The revamp of the Civic not only is unusual for Honda but also the auto industry as a whole. Midyear model changes generally occur within two to three years of a product’s lifecycle.

Honda is covering all the bases with key improvements to its Civic compact and Accord midsize sedan this year, with extra scrutiny paid to the smaller model.


The much-derided ’12 Civic is being replaced with an almost all-new model in dealerships now. Chief among complaints was the previous model’s spartan interior, replaced by a new one that features soft-touch instrumentation and other premium-feel add-ons.

“We miscalculated a little bit of where the market was headed,” Honda Chief Engineer Art St. Cyr says. “And we recognize it. What we tried to do with the '13 Civic was give it a more sophisticated and high-class appearance. Not to say that the '12 was bad. It still looked like what we were going for.”

There is no cost difference between using softer materials over hard plastic, St. Cyr says. Hard plastic is commonly used because it can be cut to fit multiple cabins regardless of trim level. ”A soft instrument panel gives you the ability to cut some of the hard lines. You don’t worry about how things are mating.”

American Honda President John Mendel says he has received only two letters from concerned customers wondering about the resale value of their ’12 Civics and that he is not worried the previous model will lose its value.

“We’d say, ‘You made a smart choice. The car retained its value, and you have something to look forward to next time you change (vehicles).’ It’s not as if this one obsoletes the old one.”

The revamp of the Civic, referred to as a “minor model change” by Mendel, not only is unusual for Honda but also the auto industry as a whole. Midyear model changes generally occur within two to three years of a product’s lifecycle and are planned well in advance, whereas the turnaround with the new Civic was executed in less than a year.

This won’t become an industry standard, Mendel assures, but it does demonstrate how a car company can change with the market.

“I don’t think a minor model change is going to come every 18 months now,” he says. “Short model changes don’t cost any less than long model changes. It’s how you amortize them. I think that it has awakened the organization to the potential that we can do this faster than we’ve ever been. It doesn’t mean it should be the norm.”

For the Accord, a variety of powertrain options keeps consumer interest piqued in the car, Mendel says. Drivers have warmed to the new continuously variable transmission option, which is helping keep the midsize model “neck and neck with (the Toyota) Camry.”

Honda designed its new CVT (in-house) to feel like an actual gear-change transmission, he says.
“We’re not getting feedback (that it’s) whiny, rubber-bandy. CVT had built that reputation.”

The Accord also is offering a hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the ’13 model, with sights set on the former.

“I think that the Accord hybrid will put us firmly competitive in the 2-motor midsize class,” Mendel says. “(The) plug-in hybrid, we’ll see. It’s expensive, and we’ll see what the consumer adoption for that will be.”

He expects the plug-in hybrid to see smaller volume than its hybrid counterpart. “We can expand or contract production on that to the degree that we wish to.”

Honda was dogged with recalls in 2012, issuing about 16 notices potentially affecting an estimated 2,593,627 U.S. vehicles. But Mendel says the number of callbacks – only Toyota had more last year, affecting a potential 5,327,394 vehicles – doesn’t equate to the number of problems each vehicle had.

“Recalls kind of fit into the quality process,” he says. “We as readily identify stuff that we need to fix quicker in most cases than anybody else. I can’t speak for Toyota, but for us certainly we look at that as…the customer has a problem and (we) fix something.”

Driving into 2013, Honda is looking to tweak its strategies for its smaller, alternative-powertrain offerings that include the Insight hybrid-electric and CR-Z mild hybrid compacts and the Fit electric vehicle.

Mendel says the auto maker is eyeing a 1-motor electric powertrain for future small cars, putting current 2-motor systems in the CR-Z and Insight in question. “We have some plans for both those vehicles we’re not ready to share,” he says. “(But the) CR-Z is going to have some significant upgrades.”

The Fit EV, available as a lease-only vehicle in California, could be expanded beyond that market, but there are no firm plans.

“(The Fit EV) is an answer for electric vehicles from a market that is evolving, as we’re trying to figure out what an EV vehicle is supposed to be like in this country,” St. Cyr says.

Source;
 http://wardsauto.com/north-america/new-civic-hybrid-accords-key-honda-2013

MotorTrend: Honda Seeks Its Roots

by Todd Lassa of www.motortrend.com

Pundits have warned about Honda losing its way since at least the early 1990s. With the last few generations of Acuras, the 2011 Civic, and the just-replaced Accord, those warnings finally came to roost.

Enter the 2013 Accord, a return to form with good dynamics, and the big-on-the-inside, smallish-on-the-outside, low-cowl design that Honda calls "Man Maximum, Machine Minimum." It comes on the tail of Honda's announcement last year that it would design, as well as build, the sinewy 2015 Acura NSX in Ohio.  American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura also serves as executive vice president of Honda Motor Company. He spoke of changes and updates for Hondas and Acuras that give us hope the automaker has turned the corner, and is on its way back to the kind of design and engineering leadership that made it an enthusiasts' affordable favorite a quarter-century ago.

The new Acura RLX flagship, unveiled at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, adapts the traditional Honda low cowl of the new Accord. It will be available as a front-drive car for the first time (replacing the RL), with Precision All-Wheel Steer rear toe control, or in AWD form with the three-motor/V-6 Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive. Its 3.5-liter V-6 has been updated with gas direct-injection.  Iwamura-san spoke to a group of auto journalists about the RLX and other cars in a roundtable discussion at Automobile magazine's offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

How will you position the FWD and AWD Acura RLX?
We want it to be a luxury model. We still want to do it smartly. It has a driving feel like a V-8, but offering much better fuel efficiency. We think we'll have 30/30/30 [city/highway/combined] EPA fuel economy [in three-motor hybrid form]. 

Are you considering a 2WD version of the NSX?  
Anything is possible, but we cannot explain the detail of the NSX at this moment. Since we are planning a similar system for the RLX, well...you can guess that. [Honda public relations says that, officially, there are no plans for a RWD NSX. "The car is better, faster, more fun because of the SH-AWD system, not in spite of it."]  

After lagging Toyota and Ford with its IMA system, Honda has become very aggressive with hybrids.
One is the one-motor IMA system, currently in the North American Civic. It will be enhanced, in-house, with a new transmission for the next models [not Civic]. The second is a two-motor hybrid, first in the Accord plug-in, which will be available early next year in the U.S. Following this plug-in hybrid, we will have a full hybrid version of the Accord, which will have a two-motor hybrid system. It will generate very good fuel efficiency. Together with the three-motor hybrid system for both RLX and NSX, we will have three very competitive hybrid systems.  

You scuttled plans for a diesel Acura TSX.  
That stopped, unfortunately. We are watching very carefully and if diesel becomes a major stream in the U.S., we would definitely do it.  

Any more turbos?

Everybody's talking about the downsized turbo. That is, so far, the best approach to make fuel efficiency up, especially from a CAFE point of view.  

 

What have you learned from having to create a major face-lift for the Civic after just two model years? 

We see the current Civic as a nice car. It has a very, very strong competitive edge. It has been the best-selling model in that segment, but we are not satisfied with the model. We really wish to be best in the segment...to be the benchmark again in the segment. So Accord, we made it best, and CR-V, we made it best. Civic, we've made it best in the segment as a benchmark. That is our strategy.

 

Source;

http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2012/1302_honda_seeks_its_roots/

Question and Answer with Honda CEO Takanobu Ito

Honda's new CEO Takanobu Ito talks to Autocar about the problems with recycled carbonfibre and why he can't sell fuel cell cars.

Do you plan to give us more cars in the future with more platform sharing?
To be honest, we don’t sell a huge variety of cars in Europe. To sell a large variety would undermine our investment efficiency and impact our business. We want to respond to our customers’ needs, so for future cars we will try to offer more varied cars on the same platform and we are revisiting our development in that respect. We will try to reduce the number of platforms, but this will take time.

In Europe Toyota is seen as the green car company, despite Honda’s long history with hybrids. How do you address this?
Our European sales people are largely to blame. We tried to enhance our position with the Civic hybrid but failed. But the CR-Z and Insight will help us enhance awareness that Honda is a green car maker. We also want to introduce the FCX to Europe and have started testing here.

Talking of green technology, what happened to the clean diesels you were working on?
It was too challenging to produce a commercialised clean diesel. We got it to work at a research and development level, but we couldn’t make it work commercially. But we haven’t abandoned clean diesel research, and we’re still working on the technology.

Honda doesn’t believe electric vehicles have much of a future, yet you are working on battery-electric cars. Why?
The performance of batteries is evolving and there are possibilities. But the energy that can be stored is less than an internal combustion engine can produce, and with current battery technology electric vehicles are city commuters. But they could be used as a second car, with an internal combustion-engined car as the first vehicle. We are in the midst of considering what can be done with an electric commuter car.

Honda has, from an early stage, worked on fuel cell vehicles. Battery EVs are heavy, not fun to drive and aren’t reliable, and when it comes to cars lighter is better. FCVs are going in that direction.

So when do you think you’ll be selling fuel cell cars?
We don’t have any plans to sell them as there isn’t a hydrogen infrastructure to support them, and they would be very expensive. Infrastructure is key to the adoption of fuel cell vehicles.

And the cost?
We can do cost reduction and mass production of the technology. It’s simple to produce fuel cells; it’s the chemicals they use that cost money, along with the precious metals. But we can cut the cost of those, too.

What’s happened to the small sub-Jazz car that was mentioned last year?
The recession has caused our business to go through difficult times, and we had to revise our business plan, which has slowed development. Our priority now is to increase sales of the Jazz in Europe. But we haven’t given up on the small car. We’d like to try it in Asia first.

Would you consider a joint venture with another car maker?
I don’t imagine Honda seeking a partner. But if another car maker approached Honda, what would happen? Well, the final products coming out of the factory would have to be Honda products. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a partnership, but I can’t see a need for it now.

Volkswagen is working on recycled carbonfibre for cars. Is that something you’re interested in?
The problem with carbonfibre is that you have to bake it at high temperature and at high pressure, which is not suitable for mass production. It’s difficult to recycle, too; recycled carbonfibre can’t be reused in automobiles. That’s why I don’t think it will be used in mass-produced cars.

Source;
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=245649#

Q&A: Honda Lithium Battery, GS Yuasa Form Battery JV

Here's an interesting look at the behind the scenes of Honda....
Honda Motor Co Ltd and GS Yuasa Corp reached a basic agreement on the establishment of their joint venture for the Li-ion secondary battery business Dec 17, 2008.

"We know that, under the current bleak circumstances, the key to survival is to further accelerate the development of advanced environmental technologies and offer them as attractive products to our customers," said Honda President Takeo Fukui at the press conference.

To diffuse hybrid cars, "the most suited solution" at the moment, it is important to evolve Li-ion secondary batteries, he said. And he explained why Honda is forming a new company with GS Yuasa, describing GS Yuasa as a company that has "high levels of Li-ion secondary battery technologies and expertise in battery materials and many other areas." He also emphasized the fact that GS Yuasa's Li-ion secondary battery is used in Honda's two-legged robot "ASIMO."

Major questions and answers were as follows.

Q: When and on what scale are you planning to manufacture a new Li-ion secondary battery? How much will the initial investment be? From which model are you considering introducing the new battery?

Also, there is a sense that Honda lags behind Toyota Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co Ltd, which have already established joint ventures, with Toyota establishing "Panasonic EV Energy Co Ltd" with Panasonic Corp and Nissan setting up "Automotive Energy Supply Corp" with NEC Corp. Will this be a handicap for Honda?

Fukui: Honda is planning to provide half the joint venture's capital of ¥15 billion (approx US$168 million). It's difficult to specify when and from which vehicle we are starting to use the new battery now, as our "Insight" (to be released in spring 2009) will employ a nickel-hydride secondary battery. However, we will strive to do that as soon as possible and I believe we will never fall behind our rivals.

Q: Since when have you been considering establishing the new company? Honda has been purchasing components from various companies so far. Are you going to change that strategy? Also, are you planning to apply the battery to fuel cell vehicles and other green cars?

Fukui: Honda has been discussing diverse plans over the past few years. Our relationship with GS Yuasa involved Li-ion secondary batteries several years ago. Our latest "ASIMO" uses GS Yuasa's Li-ion secondary battery as well. To go back even further, we developed normal batteries for motorcycles together. Our relationship has a long history.

I think we started discussing specific things about the joint venture about a year ago. We happened to make the announcement at this timing, but we were not expecting an economic turmoil like this. We would have announced the plan at about the same time even if it had not been for the economic fluctuation, I believe.

As for future prospects, we are first aiming to develop a battery exclusively targeted at Honda's "IMA (Integrated Motor Assist)" hybrid system in a short period of time. After that, we will discuss and determine the next steps with GS Yuasa.

By the way, Honda will continue to purchase nickel-hydride secondary batteries from Sanyo Electric Co Ltd and Panasonic.

Basically, the new company will aim to become the world's top manufacturer in terms of product competitiveness, of course. But Honda will remain to be a purchaser. We must make purchasing decisions by properly evaluating products in terms of Q (quality), C (cost) and D (delivery). It will be the best if Honda decides to employ all the components (Li-ion secondary batteries) that the new company produces as a result of this evaluation.

Q: Honda has insisted on waiting to partner with a certain company until it gets a better perspective for the future, based on the belief that it had better procure batteries, whose technologies are still immature, from multiple manufacturers. So, now you have a technological prospect?

Fukui: Generally speaking, batteries still have considerable room for growth. And I suppose it is possible that various new concept batteries will be proposed in the future. We are also holding high hopes for them. Nevertheless, lithium batteries are the most realistic solution at this point. And we judged the fastest way to meet our goal is that battery and automobile manufacturers join hands to develop them.

Q: GS Yuasa already established its joint venture "Lithium Energy Japan" with Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Mitsubishi Corp. How will you separate the development between that company and the joint venture you are forming with Honda?

GS Yuasa's President Makoto Yoda: The new joint venture with Honda will start as a company to research, develop, manufacture and sell Li-ion secondary batteries for use in hybrid cars. Meanwhile, Lithium Energy Japan develops Li-ion secondary batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). Those products are clearly different from each other.

We will, of course, strictly separate our teams for development, production and preparation for volume production on the side of GS Yuasa. However, on a medium-term basis, I believe we can expect synergy in various ways.

Q: How do you think about the strategy of partnering with multiple automakers? And you said GS Yuasa will strictly separate Li-ion secondary batteries for EVs and those for hybrids. But what are the difference between them?

Yoda: Regardless of whether they are for EVs or hybrids, Li-ion secondary batteries are not the type of products that a battery manufacturer develops by itself and proposes to automakers saying, "Here you are." They are like "special order items." We tailor them in accordance with drive mode, specifications and many other conditions. In other words, they are products that we must discuss and develop with automakers from the design phase.

Therefore, it's natural for us to establish a new company that makes Li-ion secondary batteries for hybrids with Honda. Of course, we might find a different approach in the future. But under the current circumstances, we are sure developing Li-ion secondary batteries with Honda and Mitsubishi is the most natural approach for us.

As for the difference between Li-ion secondary batteries for EVs and those for hybrids, the former requires a large capacity because EVs have no power source other than batteries. The latter, on the other hand, does not need a large capacity because hybrids are powered by engines too.

However, batteries for hybrids charge and discharge extremely frequently: They output power when the car is accelerating and regenerate power when the car is decelerating. Therefore, batteries for hybrids can have small capacity but must be efficient in charging and discharging. So, their development processes are quite different.

Q: Honda could have chosen to invest in GS Yuasa. Why did you choose to establish a joint venture?

Fukui: I don't see much point in investing in GS Yuasa. Also, as this joint venture is a battery company, I believe the best approach is that GS Yuasa, a battery manufacturer, holds the majority stake and Honda takes the minority.

Q: Did Panasonic's acquisition of Sanyo have any influence on the establishment of the new company?

Fukui: I found out about Panasonic's TOB (takeover bid) to acquire Sanyo in a newspaper. We had begun discussing our plans long before that. SO, we were not influenced by the news.

Source;
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20081219/163085/?P=2