Develop Plug-In Autos as Obama Alters U.S. Policy

April 27 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., the only company selling hydrogen-powered cars to U.S. drivers, may also develop plug-in models as U.S. policy shifts to favor battery-powered autos.

Honda, which began leasing hydrogen fuel cell FCX Clarity sedans in Los Angeles last year, still sees hydrogen as the best long-term alternative to gasoline as a fuel that can cut carbon exhaust tied to global warming, President Takeo Fukui said in an interview. Still, the company will respond to a push by the Obama administration for carmakers to sell plug-ins, he said.
“We understand the situation, in terms of government and incentives,” Fukui said April 23 in Detroit. “Naturally, we’re going to have to accommodate that too.”

General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., and startups Tesla Motors Inc. and Fisker Automotive Inc., are rushing out cars that can be recharged at electrical outlets as the U.S. moves to tighten fuel-economy and greenhouse gas rules. Honda has yet to announce plans to sell one, citing high costs for the lithium-ion batteries needed to power them and poor range.
“We are thinking about plug-in hybrids, but we aren’t thinking about commercializing one right away,” Fukui said.

Honda, Japan’s second-largest carmaker, last week began building a lithium-ion battery factory with joint-venture partner GS Yuasa Corp. in Japan’s Kyoto prefecture to make packs for gasoline-electric hybrid cars made by Tokyo-based Honda starting in late 2010.

“We started working with GS Yuasa with just the hybrid application in mind,” Fukui said. “We are thinking about extending that application to plug-in hybrids.”

Fukui, 65, said in February he’ll step down as Honda’s president in June, and will be succeeded by Takanobu Ito.

Policy Shift
Former President George W. Bush in 2003 committed $1.2 billion in federal funds to a 5-year program aimed at speeding development of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel as part of efforts to wean the U.S. from its reliance on imported oil.

So far, President Barack Obama has announced no new federal effort to promote the fuel, and federal funding for hydrogen for transportation use in the 2009 budget dropped to $177.7 million this year from $211.9 million, according to the Department of Energy Web site.

Tax Credits
Instead, Obama backed tax credits of as much as $7,500 in the stimulus package approved in February for buyers of plug-in cars. The Energy Department is also preparing to award as much as $25 billion in low-cost federal loans for production of advanced technology vehicles, with many of the applications coming from companies planning to build plug-ins or the batteries and components needed to power them.

“I haven’t heard any discussion of hydrogen since the Bush administration was getting ready to leave,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Campaign, a group in Washington that works for environmentally “clean” cars. “It looks like hydrogen has lost at this stage.”

Tom Welch, a spokesman for the Energy Department, wasn’t immediately able to comment on whether the agency’s view of hydrogen as an automotive fuel has changed.

Honda, the world’s largest engine maker, set a goal of leading the industry in hydrogen fuel cell autos. In July, it opened an assembly line in Japan to build its FCX Clarity. The hydrogen-powered car has a top speed of 105 miles per hour and travels as far as 280 miles on electricity produced by its fuel cell stack.

The vehicle costs U.S. customers $600 a month to lease. Honda hasn’t revealed its production price.

Fuel Cells
Fuel cells create electricity in a chemical process that combines hydrogen and oxygen, emitting only water vapor. California, which requires big automakers to sell some non- polluting vehicles, rates Clarity a “zero-emission vehicle.”

While hydrogen provides driving performance similar to that of gasoline vehicles, fuel cell models will remain costly to build for the foreseeable future and aren’t as durable as conventional cars. A lack of hydrogen fueling stations also limits the areas in the U.S. where such vehicles can be used.
While GM, Toyota and Hyundai Motor Co. are also developing fuel-cell cars, those companies, as well as Honda, don’t expect hydrogen to be competitive with gasoline autos until about 2020.

“Hydrogen may have a future, but the view seems to be that batteries are what we can do reasonably soon,” Becker said.

Automakers have to plan for an eventual tightening of global oil supplies and pressure to cut greenhouse gases, Fukui said.

“Oil prices are going to go up. When that time comes, fuel cells, solar panels, hydrogen, those will be the key words,” Fukui said. “We will have packages that will be very competitive at that time.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles aohnsman@bloomberg.net

Source;
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aD0dW_P92jeU&refer=us#

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Announces New President & CEO

Takeo Fukui, the current President & CEO (left) and Takanobu Ito (right) soon to be the seventh President & Chief Executive Officer of Honda Motor effective in late June 2009.

I must say as to this news, the new guys name isn't as fun to try and pronounce as the old one....

TOKYO, Japan, February 23, 2009–Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor) announced that Takanobu Ito, currently the company's Senior Managing Director, will become the seventh President & Chief Executive Officer of Honda Motor effective in late June 2009. Takeo Fukui, the current President & CEO, will remain on the board and assume the post of Director and Advisor to Honda Motor. This management succession will occur following the final decision of the Honda Motor Board of Directors after the company's annual shareholders' meeting, scheduled for late June 2009.

Ito joined Honda in 1978, and began his career in its automobile research and development operations, principally as an engineer in the area of chassis design. Ito was in charge of developing the all-aluminum uni-body frame structure for the mid-engine NSX sports car that went on sale in 1990, a world's first for a production vehicle of any volume. Ito also took on responsibilities as the person-in-charge of developing a series of compact sedans for the Japanese market in the early 1990's.

From April 1998 to March 2000, Ito was stationed in the U.S. as Executive Vice President of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., where he became actively involved in the development of the Acura brand's first sport-utility vehicle, the MDX (which went on sale in the U.S. in October 2000).

In June 2000, Ito was appointed to the Board of Directors of Honda Motor, simultaneously gaining promotion to Managing Director of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. (Honda R&D). He subsequently became President and Director of Honda R&D in June 2003. Ito also took on a role in the area of manufacturing as General Manager of Honda's Suzuka Factory in April 2005.

In April 2007, Ito became Honda Motor's Chief Operating Officer of Automobile Operations and a Senior Managing Director from June of the same year.

From April 2009, he will again assume the top position of President and Director of Honda R&D, a position he will continue to hold concurrently after the successful appointment as President & CEO of Honda Motor expected in late June 2009.

Takeo Fukui has served as Honda Motor's President & CEO since assuming the position in June 2003. During the six years of Fukui's leadership, Honda was able to actively evolve its global manufacturing structure, notably the establishment of a U.S. automobile plant in Indiana and the decision to set up two manufacturing facilities - the Yorii and Ogawa plants - in Saitama, Japan.

Furthermore, Fukui enabled the company to make forays into new business areas, including the establishment of both the jet engine and aircraft businesses, and making a full-scale entry into the solar cell business with Honda's original next-generation solar cell. Also under Fukui's leadership, the company continued to demonstrate its leadership in reducing CO2 emissions through both technology and product innovations. Honda's firm commitment to reduce CO2 output on a global scale was underlined in 2006, when it announced company-wide reduction targets for CO2 emitted from its product lineups as well as from its production lines. The realization of the all-new Insight as an affordable product was an outcome of Fukui's strong guidance, based on the belief that hybrid vehicles must become accessible to more people if the technology is to contribute to reductions in CO2 output.

Fukui joined Honda as an engineer in 1969, and became a member of the project team that developed the Honda CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine. Fukui also has extensive experience in the company's motorcycle development and racing operations. In 1988, he became a member of the Honda Motor Board of Directors, subsequently assuming responsibilities as General Manager of the Suzuka Factory, President of Honda of America Mfg., Inc., President and Director of Honda R&D, and most recently, President & CEO of Honda Motor, a title he has held since June 2003.

Source;

http://world.honda.com/news/2009/c090223New-President-CEO/

Honda Warning, Fix the Yen or we Leave Japan

That's right, current economic times are forcing Honda to talk drastic measures.

We're outta here!!!!
Corporate posturing or not, Honda's Takeo Fukui made his opinions perfectly clear regarding the Japanese government's recent lack of currency manipulation. Fukui, CEO of Honda Motor Co., suggested that the yen's rise in value relative to the currency in the United States and Europe is causing major damage to the automaker, and he's willing to take drastic measures to stop the hurt, including relocating the automaker's corporate headquarters to another country. Other possible actions include a major reduction in workforce, including the type of permanent lay-offs that the automaker has typically avoided in the past, as well as moving more production out of Japan and into overseas markets.

Fukui might get exactly what he wishes for, as many economists are predicting that the yen will sink in value in relation to the dollar within the next few days. If not, many, like Fukui, are calling on the Japanese government to step in and devalue its currency for the first time in four years. Thanks for the tip, BenS!

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/22/honda-could-move-headquarters-outside-of-japan/

Honda outlines its green car future

It’s the time of year when most of us take stock of what’s gone before and evaluate our futures - and Japanese car maker Honda is no exception.

Its CEO Takeo Fukui has outlined the steps that Honda is taking in the short-term to tackle the global financial crisis while also addressing the company’s long term green car commitments.

According to Fukui, Honda will concentrate its efforts on the development of fuel efficient cars more than ever. He has outlined hybrid models of both small cars and motorcycles as the key to achieving this goal. Honda believes that hybrid technology is the most realistic path to carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction at this moment and will be focusing its energies on hybrids in an effort to achieve mass market penetration.

In particular, the eagerly anticipated Honda Insight, which will debut at January’s Detroit show, has been strongly emphasised while the company will also consider applying hybrid technology to medium and large-size vehicles.

To support the sale of hybrid models, the company will strengthen its manufacturing system. Production of the hybrid motor for the IMA system has already begun for the first time at the Suzuka Factory and motor capacity will be increased to 250,000 units annually. Honda will also establish a production system and determine the capabilities needed for a further increase in demand for hybrid cars.

In addition, Honda will focus on accelerating product development of small cars to fulfil strong demand from customers, particularly in emerging countries. A new small car will be positioned in the class below the Fit and be introduced in the next two-three years.

Honda will also remain committed to advancing its global production system with a central focus on Japan and in creating fuel-efficient products. According to Fukui, Honda is developing a battery powered electric motorcycle to be introduced to the market in around two years.

Source;
http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2008/12/22/honda-outlines-its-green-car-future/

Honda president downplays BYD electric car

Photo taken from Autoblog.com, I love it, "MEH"

Shanghai, November 25 (Gasgoo.com) In a recent interview by auto163.com, Honda President Takeo Fukui said he didn’t think highly of BYD’s research and development of electric cars.

Speaking of the electric vehicle (EV) development, Fukui said as the EV technology is still not mature, it is impossible to push out the electric cars now. The key point is it is hard to solve the problems of battery, especially for the extension of battery life. The existing electric cars now can only reach as far as 100 km, reflecting a difficult situation for mass production and commercialization.

Fukui said he didn’t expect BYD’s research and development of electric cars to be good. Apart from that, Fukui showed his confidence in the Chinese auto market in 2009. He noted that despite the global financial crisis, Chinese auto market will maintain a 5% growth next year as a direct result of the overall economic growth in China.

Compared to Europe and some other neighboring countries, China was relatively less affected by the financial crisis. Fukui predicted that the Chinese auto market will see sales volume at around 9.4 million units for this year.

Honda will continue to put emphasis on the Chinese market and also increase investment in China in the coming years, Fukui said.

Source;

http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008507/Honda-president-downplays-BYD-electric-car.html

via Autoblog article;

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/11/25/honda-president-pooh-poohs-byd-electric-cars-in-general/

Automobile's Man Of The Year: Honda's Takeo Fukui

In a year when the U.S. auto market has been knocked out cold by the one-two punch of spiking fuel prices and the financial meltdown, it's not easy finding a hero in the car business. Now that the tide of easy credit and cheap gasoline has gone out, we see that a lot of car companies have been swimming naked. But not Honda. Honda's steadfast refusal to follow the herd once looked stubborn but now appears prescient. In an era when platinum-paid executives rarely deviate from the orthodoxy of the crowd, Honda's Takeo Fukui has successfully avoided faddish trends and instead stayed true to the founding principles of Soichiro Honda and his successors. For that, Honda president and CEO Takeo Fukui is the 2009 AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE Man of the Year.

Fukui's long path to the presidency at Honda has seen him move through many of the arenas that are so key to the company's DNA: R&D, motorsports, and manufacturing. An engineer by trade-funny how so many of the best auto executives are-Fukui joined Honda in 1969 and started work on the project that would lead to the Honda CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine, a unique approach to meeting emissions regulations and an early indicator of the nascent automaker's engineering prowess and commitment to the environment.

Honda often goes its own way, whether it's being the first Japanese auto manufacturer to set up a U.S. assembly plant (a move many others followed), avoiding the merger mania that swept the industry (most of which have since been undone), or refusing to follow the herd with its model mix.

Honda kept to the sidelines when Nissan and Toyota went scurrying after the U.S. automakers in the full-size pickup, and attendant big SUV, markets-both of which are now in a free fall. Resources not spent developing trucks have been directed instead to cars, such as the Accord, enabling Honda to keep them at the top of their game.

Unlike so many other car companies, Honda has not treated the small-car arena as a low-margin backwater. Every generation of Civic moves the bar of excellence still further, and the introduction to the United States of the even-smaller Fit, in 2006, proved to be a deft move indeed. Honda blew through its 50,000-unit projected annual sales estimate for that car by some 30,000 units in 2007, and at this writing is on track to sell even more for 2008, when the model has been effectively sold out for months and a redesigned version was introduced.

Diesel engines are off the radar in Honda's home market of Japan, but Fukui and his team recognized their importance to Europe, leading Honda to develop an advanced 2.2-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder for that market. Like so many Honda engines, it's been winning rave reviews and will come to the United States later this year in the Acura TSX.

Looking ahead to future technologies, Fukui continues to lead the company outside the mainstream. The upcoming new Insight hybrid, for instance, was engineered with an emphasis on cutting the weight and the cost of the hybrid powertrain, rather than maximizing fuel economy. The Insight is expected to undercut the benchmark Toyota Prius by several thousand dollars while still achieving 40/45 mpg. Continued effort in this direction will allow Honda to add a hybrid Fit in a few years.

Fukui also has expressed skepticism of lithium-ion batteries, which he considers not ready for prime time-although Honda does use them in its FCX Clarity fuel cell car-and, as a result, is cool to the prospects of plug-in hybrids and battery-electrics. Instead, the company is forging ahead with the development of fuel cell cars-where Honda is the only manufacturer to put fuel cells into the hands of paying customers, albeit in small numbers. Will Fukui's independent course put Honda behind the pace, or is he steering around another costly diversion? It's too early to know, but one thing is certain: Honda's strong internal compass has kept it moving forward with a kind of plodding certainty that so many of today's naked swimmers can only envy.

Source;
http://www.automobilemag.com/features/awards/0811_2009_man_of_the_year_takeo_fukui/_honda_future.html

Honda supports U.S. loan package

Honda has endorsed the American government's decision to provide the Detroit 3 with a $25 billion loan, describing the aid package as “totally proper” and important for the development of more fuel-efficient models.

According to the carmaker’s CEO Takeo Fukui, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were all too slow to respond to the current fuel price crisis, and this is the reason why they are in such dire financial positions. His support for the American government's bailout plan also stems from the fact that Honda sources parts from many of the same manufacturers that these companies do, and if any of the Detroit 3 goes bankrupt there’s a strong chance that many of its suppliers could too.

While the Detroit 3 are all suffering from dropping sales, Honda’s numbers are expected to increase this year compared with the last. This is because sales in emerging markets such as China and India continue to increase despite the global economic downturn, reports The Detroit News.

Fukui also attributed Honda's success to its focus on high mileage models, and its decision not to "dabble" in the pickup truck segment. While the Detroit 3 built its customer base and bottom lines on the back of these lucrative truck sales, Honda's non-American markets were not so focused on these segments. Sales of its sedan models have proven so popular the carmaker is cutting back production on its Odyssey MPV and Pilot SUV in order to boost capacity for its Civic and Accord.

The carmaker’s next major sales boost is expected to come from a new generation of hybrid vehicles, including a production version of the Insight concept as well as hybrid sports car based on the CR-Z concept.

Source;
http://www.motorauthority.com/honda-supports-us-loan-package.html

2008 Paris Motor Show Remarks by Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., LTD

10/02/2008 - PARIS -
Good morning ladies and gentlemen... and thank you for joining Honda. It is great to be in Paris again... a trendsetting city where... today... we plan to introduce the concept for a trendsetting new vehicle.

The need to reduce CO2 emissions is a global challenge that transcends all national borders. Honda is addressing this challenge with technologies for the current, near and long-term.

Today we are introducing an all-new Jazz in Europe... with an enhanced design... even greater utility... while further reducing fuel consumption. And it achieves the number one fuel efficiency for B-segment petrol vehicles. To help us meet increasing global demand for high fuel efficiency cars, we will begin production of Jazz at our plant in the U.K. next year.

For the long term, we believe fuel cell electric vehicle technology is the ultimate environmental solution. And we have begun introducing the industry- leading Honda FCX Clarity to individual customers to advance this technology.

But to reduce CO2 emissions in the near term, Honda believes the best approach is to advance hybrid technology to mainstream customers. And the foundation of our efforts is the Honda Company Principle that has guided our business for more than 50 years. Maintaining a global viewpoint... with products of the highest quality... at a reasonable price... for worldwide customer satisfaction.

Today, we introduce a hybrid vehicle concept model... the all-new Honda Insight... that takes this principle into action. The original Insight was a 2-seat subcompact car. Introduced in 1999, it was a pioneer for petrol-electric hybrid technology in Europe and North America... as the very first commercially available hybrid car in these markets. We applied new technologies to achieve the number one fuel efficiency in the industry. These included the ultimate in aerodynamic design... an all-aluminum body and new processes for aluminum body production... and the compact IMA hybrid system.

The all-new Honda Insight will also be a pioneer... challenging to take hybrid technology into a new era of affordability. This new Insight will give more people the chance to get behind the wheel of a high quality hybrid vehicle only Honda can develop. Following the advanced aerodynamic design of FCX Clarity, Insight is a 5-seat 5-door hatchback... with room for a family.

We are developing this vehicle to achieve excellent fuel efficiency on par with Civic Hybrid... but at a significantly reduced price. The new Insight is equipped with a hybrid system that combines a lightweight and compact 1.3-liter engine with a motor that will achieve excellent fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

We created a newly developed platform with the control unit and battery under the cargo space. As a result, Insight achieves excellent utility together with light and comfortable driving feel to offer a "Fun to Drive" spirit.

This new Insight represents the further advance of our concept of offering a hybrid for everyone. We have further reduced the weight and size of the hybrid system. And we have improved and strengthened our production system to further reduce the cost of our hybrid system.

While we continue to view the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle as the ultimate solution, we will position Insight as an environmentally-responsible vehicle available to everyone now. The mass-production Insight will go on sale in Europe, Japan, and North America in spring 2009... with expected annual global sales of 200,000 units.

The new Insight marks the start of a new phase in our hybrid vehicle strategy... that will also include the Civic Hybrid, a new vehicle based on the CR-Z concept vehicle and a new Jazz hybrid. We expect combined annual sales to reach approximately 500,000 units.

As a next step... we plan to unveil the mass-production model of Insight next January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. But, now, it is my pleasure to give you this first look at the Insight Concept model. Thank you for your attention.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/4821