CEO Says Honda Not Falling Behind in Technology
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito says the auto maker has been producing fully competitive powertrains all along and is rolling out new technology in a carefully timed cadence with the introduction of new models.
January 30, 2012
DETROIT – Besides suffering a disastrous year in 2011 where its global output and sales were hammered by natural catastrophes, Honda is facing criticism that it is falling behind in the introduction of new technologies such as gasoline direct injection and 6-, 7- and 8-speed transmissions.
For instance, a direct-injection 4-cyl. engine and 6-speed automatic transmission will be available for the first time on the ’13 Accord while such features already have been available for some time on competitor models. And the 6-speed will be available only with the up-market V-6 powertrain.
However, in a recent meeting with reporters here, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito says the auto maker has been producing fully competitive powertrains all along and is rolling out new technology in a carefully timed cadence with the introduction of new models.
Ito points to the latest Honda Civic as having the performance and fuel-efficiency necessary to match or beat its competition in the small-car segment without direct-injection technology or a 6-speed transmission.
“We never think we are behind competitors. We did not have to use (DI) to achieve good performance,” he says through an interpreter.
Ito does not mention specifics, but the Environmental Protection Agency rates the high-mileage Civic HF at 29/41 mpg (8.1-5.7 L/100 km) city/highway. Other versions of the Civic with 5-speed automatics are not far behind.
Nevertheless, Ito acknowledges DI technology “seems to be a trend” and that Honda is ready to use it, but adds that the rollout of all new technologies will be coordinated with new product cycles.
“We think about advancement of our technologies and we will be making a lot of plans, but we also have to look at model timing and when it would be best to apply these technologies,” he says.
Continuously variable transmissions are a key fuel-efficiency technology Honda keeps on improving, and will roll out widely in the U.S., Ito says. Consumers especially will appreciate the fuel efficiency and refinement of the CVT that is matched with the 2.4L 4-cyl. in the new ’13 Accord, he promises.
A plug-in hybrid-electric powertrain also will be available a few months after the Accord arrives in showrooms this fall. Along with the CR-V, Civic and new Acura models, the Accord will lead the auto maker’s recovery after an earthquake and tsunami in Japan and historic floods in Thailand crippled production for most of 2011. “This is the year we will be able to show how Honda is competitive in the marketplace,” Ito says.
Further down the road, the Acura NSX hybrid-electric supercar will serve as a symbol to reinforce Honda’s and Acura’s focus on sporty performance and advanced technologies, such as super-handling all-wheel-drive.
Honda is launching the Fit EV this summer. Ito says hydrogen-powered fuel cells remain the ideal solution for emissions-free mobility. However, a refueling infrastructure remains a significant hurdle. “It’s not like we are slacking off in this area,” he says. “We are working with federal and state governments, but it is not going as smoothly as we would like that process to be. We are persistent and still trying.”
In the meantime, battery-electric vehicles are convenient for driving short distances and PHEVs will offer mobility for long trips.
From an engineering perspective, the cleanest arrangement families might have in the future is one fuel-cell vehicle for longer trips and a BEV just for commuting, Ito says.
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