Developing cleaner products is not a new mandate for Honda. Coupled with world-class quality and technology, Honda has routinely incorporated environmentally-focused features into its products for more than 40 years. A few examples include:* Since 1964 Honda has manufactured only four-stroke outboard motors. Cleaner, more fuel-efficient and quieter than traditional two-stroke outboards, four-stroke motors also do not release oil directly into the water;
* In 1972 Honda introduced the Controlled Vortex Combustion Chamber (CVCC) engine. The CVCC was the first automobile engine capable of meeting the 1970 Clean Air Act without the weight, cost, and complexity of a catalytic converter;
* In 1997 Honda entered the handheld power-equipment market with a noticeably quiet and fuel-efficient trimmer/brush cutter powered by the world’s first 360-degree inclinable mini-four-stroke engine;
* In 1998 Honda became the first company to introduce an entire line of high-performance outboard motors that met the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) year 2006 emission standards;
* In 2000 Honda became the first auto company to receive the EPA’s Climate Protection Award for development of the Honda Insight, the first gas-electric hybrid vehicle sold in the United States;
* In 2002 Honda became the first automaker in the world to market a fuel cell vehicle certified by the U.S. EPA and the state of California. The 2005 Honda FCX also features its own fuel cell stack capable of cold weather operation;
* In 2003 Honda introduced the HRX lawnmower, the first to enable simultaneous distribution of grass clippings to both the bag and the ground with no additional equipment. Whether the user chooses to mulch, compost or dispose of the bagged clippings, all of the options provided by the HRX are better for the environment than conventional clipping disposal.
The Honda Environment Statement
As a responsible member of society determined to help preserve the global environment, Honda makes concerted efforts to contribute to human health and preservation of the global environment in each phase of its corporate activities and to stay at the forefront of such endeavors.
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http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=1068