What are the advantages of the Honda diesel power train for cars?

As the demand to adapt to greener lifestyles and environmentally-cleaner ways of living is increasing, there are a growing number of motorists opting for cars that are cleaner to the environment and more fuel-efficient. As Honda are widely acclaimed for pioneering the way in ‘greener’ forms of vehicles, if you are on the market for an eco-friendly car, the chances are you are considering one from Honda.

To help you understand the interior complexities of what makes Honda’s eco cars as beneficial as they are it is important to look at the manufacturer’’ development across all areas of the motor industry.

Between 2004 and 2009 the Tier II emission standard regulations were phased in in the United States. Within the Tier II ranking, there is a sub-rating which ranges from BIN 1 – 10, with 10 being the dirtiest emissions that a vehicle can emit into the atmosphere and 1 being the cleanest and is a Zero Emission Vehicle.

In 2007 the U.S. implemented new Tier II Bin 5 regulations and in order to comply with these regulations Honda announced the development of a diesel power train that is as clean as a traditional gasoline vehicle.

So what exactly are the advantages of the Honda diesel power train for cars?

Diesel is more fuel efficient than gasoline engines
With the price of petrol now at unprecedented levels, budget-conscious motorists are increasingly looking for alternatives to petrol driven vehicles. As diesel engines are approximately 30% more fuel efficient than petrol, diesel cars have always been a popular alternative for motorists wanting to see their fuel go further. Is this sense Honda cars that are powered by an impressive diesel power train, are more fuel efficient than many of the vehicles that do not have this system.

Less greenhouse emissions
As diesel cars are notoriously harmful to the environment, spewing out greater amounts of harmful gases than petrol cars, you may be wondering how Honda vehicles that are powered by a diesel power train are environmentally friendly.

Honda’s innovative technology is based on a system that both generates and stores ammonia in a two-layered catalytic converter. The converter then turns the harmful greenhouse gas nitrogen oxide produced by the diesel into harmless nitrogen.

Carbon emissions are also heavily reduced in a number of Honda’s new hybrid creations. These combine an electric motor with a traditional combustion engine to offer drivers the performance of a conventional car with the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle.

Requires no heavy add-ons
Despite car manufacturers DaimlerChrysler having already started developing a similar process, Honda claim that its own system is superior as it is a lot less complex and does not require any heavy add-ons to make ammonia from area-based additives. This gives motorists the chance to protect the environment with as little impact on their finances and lifestyle as possible, making these cars the perfect choice.

Source;
http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/111971/what-are-the-advantages-of-the-honda-diesel-power-train-for-cars-.aspx

Honda to launch diesel cars in India by 2012

For a long time cars like Honda City and Honda Civic have been favourites and churned up good figures.

But recently there has been a flood of new launches that have posed a serious threat to the almost monopolistic models by Honda.

Cars like Volkswagen Vento and Fiat Linea are some of the biggest challengers to the supremacy of Honda City, one of Honda's higgest selling models.

Also, till now there has been no diesel car launched by Honda, which is one of its disadvantages.

However, this is about to change as Honda Siel Cars India will launch two diesel engine options by 2012.

According to sources Honda would bring the diesel engine to India after its launch in Europe and it would be fitted into cars like City, Jazz and the new small car Honda is developing.

The engine is a new 2.0 litre CRDI diesel unit.

Right now Honda offers Honda Accord and the Honda CR-V in 2.2 litre diesel versions in the overseas market.

And diesel engine variants are important on the portfolio of every carmaker wanting to make it big in the Indian market as Indian buyers buy more diesel cars than petrol.

The current Honda portfolio includes cars like CR-V, City, Civic, Accord and Jazz.

Out of these three cars are likely to get the new diesel engine.

The car is available in three variants out of which Honda City 1.5 E MT and Honda City 1.5 S MT are equipped with 1.5L, 1497cc, i-VTEC petrol engine with the 5-speed manual transmission gearbox that is able to produce 118PS power at 6600rpm and 14.9Kg-m torque at 4600rpm.

The Honda City 1.5 S AT too has the same engine and specification and it has automatic transmission gearbox.

The Honda City is priced between 833,500 - 997,500 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Honda displayed a concept small car, which is yet unnamed, at the Auto Expo in January this year and is planning to launch it in India by 2011.

The small car is expected to have a 1200 cc engine and is expected to have all the necessary features including airbags, ABS and G-CON body standards, which keep the integrity of the passenger cabin intact in an accident.

Honda has decided to price the small car below 500,000 to be able to compete with Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20.

The small car will have over 80 per cent local components to save on the cost of spare parts.

Source;
http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/sep/06/slide-show-1-auto-honda-to-launch-diesel-cars-in-india-by-2012.htm

Honda, Toyota plan to develop diesel engines

No, they are not developing this for our market in North America, but for India, however once the technology is developed, it can be used in other markets....

MUMBAI: Japanese carmakers Honda and Toyota plan to develop diesel engines for their passenger cars even as rivals like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai spend more on building and marketing diesel cars to keep pace with demand.

Honda, which has only petrol-powered vehicles in its portfolio in the country, is developing a small diesel engine for the Indian market, while Toyota will soon roll out a diesel version of Corolla Altis, making it its first diesel-driven passenger car in India.

“We feel the need to develop a diesel engine,” said Jnaneswar Sen, vice president (marketing), Honda Siel. He pointed out that more than half the vehicles sold in Europe are diesel. The company is yet to decide the timeline for the launch and which cars it will power, an official said.

Toyota, which sells only diesel versions of its utility vehicles and SUVs such as Innova and Fortuner in the country, has 90% of sales coming from diesel vehicles.

“While diesel is cleaner advanced technology, gasoline will also be important for us,” said Sandeep Singh, deputy MD (sales and marketing) of Toyota Kirloskar Motors.

Other carmakers such as Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor, Tata Motors, General Motors and Ford too have stepped up production of diesel cars to cash in on increasing demand for diesel-powered cars that are more fuel efficient and environment friendly than petrol-driven cars.

Maruti Suzuki, which sells 60% of its popular Swift, Dzire and Ritz cars in diesel versions, plans to roll out smaller diesel cars, using Fiat’s 700cc engine. Maruti, which sources diesel engines from Italian carmaker Fiat, also plans to get 1.6 litre and 2 litre engines.

“While we will develop diesel engines, Maruti’s strength will continue to be gasoline as we make fuel efficient petrol engines,” said IV Rao, managing executive officer (engineering) of Maruti Suzuki.

With Suzuki’s global tieup with Volkswagen, Maruti may source diesel engines from the German carmaker in the coming years.

Its main rival Hyundai Motor is considering making diesel engines. “Currently we import are diesel engines. To have them in small cars it has to be cost effective,” said Arvind Saxena, director, marketing and sales, Hyundai Motor India. Currently Hyundai’s i20, Getz, Verna and Sonata have diesel options.

The Indian car market, which grew 25% to 1.9 million vehicles last year, is dominated by petrol models. Three out of every four cars that the country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki sells is petrol-driven.

But the proportion of diesel sales has been going up steadily from 15% in 2006 to 25% in 2009, thanks to superior technology and fuel efficiency that modern diesel engines offer.

Traditionally, high maintenance and premium pricing kept customers away from diesel models. This is no longer the case.

Many customers prefer diesel versions because of better fuel efficiency that makes up for the premium they pay, say analysts.

“What matters to the customer is the running cost and therefore the preference for a diesel model,” said a Mumbai-based analyst.

“Since majority of consumers go for car financing, the difference in monthly installment is marginal,” he added.

Kapil Arora, partner, automotive, at Ernst and Young, said he believed that there would be more diesel car sales in the next 4-5 years if diesel subsidies continue and if the manufacturers can mass supply diesel vehicles.

Source;
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Auto/Automobiles/Honda-Toyota-plan-to-develop-diesel-engines/articleshow/5942343.cms?curpg=1

Honda/Acura Diesel Update

Acura diesel on hold because of business conditions, not tech issues
AutoblogGreen spoke with Honda of America spokesman Sage Marie at a media event yesterday about the company's plans to introduce a clean diesel to the US market in 2009. The new 2.2L diesel engine is already available in the European Honda Accord which is sold in North America as the Acura TSX. At the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Acura announced the engine would debut in 2009 but rumors earlier this fall indicated the program had been put on hold or canceled due to technical issues. Honda was reported to have experienced issues passing emissions with the automatic transmission version of the TSX.

According to Marie, the program is in "wait and see" mode and the delay is due to commercial, not technical, reasons. A combination of factors, including continuing high prices for diesel fuel and the general collapse of car sales in recent months, was cited as the problem. With volumes of all cars in decline, Honda is reluctant to introduce what is expected to be a low volume model. Instead, the company will watch both the overall market and diesel sales in particular and reevaluate as needed.

Well, that's more positive news than what's been out there lately.

Source;
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/12/11/acura-diesel-on-hold-because-of-business-conditions-not-tech-iss/

Honda Rethinks Diesel Idea for North America

Diesel-gas price gap makes Honda rethink diesels for U.S.

Honda Motor is reconsidering its decision to launch diesel-power vehicles next year in the U.S., where diesel fuel has become much more expensive than gasoline.

"Right now we are re-evaluating, due to trends in gasoline and diesel prices, and the price of raw materials we use in the exhaust clean-up system," according to Honda spokesman David Iida.

Honda's move appears to be solo. But Honda's considered a savvy player in the U.S. market, so others might be tempted to rethink U.S. diesels.

Honda has been promising a four-cylinder diesel next year in a sedan from its Acura luxury brand. After that, it said it would sell larger models, probably SUVs and vans, with V-6 diesels.

Diesel cars typically retail for at least $1,500 more than similar gasoline models, but they get 20% to 40% better mileage.

The average price of diesel fuel, though, is running 40% to 50% more than average gasoline prices, according to data from the Oil Price Information Service. That wipes out cost savings from the diesel's improved mileage.

Iida says Honda will decide "sooner rather than later" on going ahead with U.S. diesels, but wouldn't pin down a date.

Rival Nissan says it still plans to sell a V-6 diesel in the premium Maxima sedan in the U.S. in 2010. But spokesman Scott Vazin says the price premium for diesel fuel is worrisome. "It's why we're putting it on our flagship. We don't know where (fuel prices) will be when we launch, but we expect some pent-up demand. And our perception of the diesel buyer is someone who keeps the car longer," minimizing the drawback of its higher price.

Volkswagen, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are selling U.S. diesels. Audi plans a diesel SUV in April. The VW Jetta TDI diesel, about $23,000, is the lowest-priced diesel in the U.S.

Worldwide demand is greater for diesel than for gasoline, keeping the price up even as gasoline has tumbled to less than half its $4.11 peak in July, notes Fred Rozell, price expert at OPIS.

The gap between gasoline and diesel "is higher than it has ever been, and typically those relationships eventually fall back to the norm," Rozell says. "I think the economic slump globally will bring diesel down."

Source;
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-12-07-honda-diesel_N.htm