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Archive for June, 2009

Honda Invested An Additional 40 Million On Jet Factory

Honda Motor Co. the producer of high quality auto parts like Honda spark plug wire is to spend approximately 40 million for its first jet aircraft factory. The additional investment will raise the companys total venture to 100 million as part of the companys expansion into aviation from manufacturing motorcycles autos and engines.

Construction had begun on the Honda Aircraft Co. facilities in Greensboro North Carolina as announced by Honda. The initial stage of the project is expected to be finished next year while the first deliveries of Honda Jet will start in 2010. The Tokyobased company also plans to hire a workforce comprising of 350 people

According to Hondas spokeswoman Alicia Jones in an interview recently “The factory portion should open by 2009 to allow us to meet our goal of delivering Honda Jets by 2010.” She also added that Honda is building the units headquarters at the site.

The worlds biggest engine producer and Japans secondlargest automaker will also compete in aircraft manufacturing with Textron Inc.s Cessna which is the worlds biggest businessjet maker. Honda has also announced that it has been able to get more than 100 orders for its 3.65 million Honda Jet that can accommodate as many as eight people.

The company also said that the aircraft is to be powered by two Hondadesigned engined mounted over the wings making the aircraft more fuel efficient. It will also offer more standard features as compared to its other small rival jets. Honda is preparing three of the planes for test flights in the later part of 2008 for the US Federal Aviation Administration certification.

Honda had announced last February that it would spend approximately 60 million for its aircraft facilities while additional investment for the manufacturing portion is to be announced later on. Hondas US operations are based in Torrance California.

Hondas American depository receipts was also reported to increase by 39 cents to 35.6 at 4:02 pm in New York Stock Exchange compose trading but for this year they have dropped by 9.8 percent.

About Honda

Honda Motor Company Limited or Honda for short is a Japanese engine manufacturer and engineering corporation. However the company is most notable in terms of its automobiles and motorcycles surpassing Nissan to become the second largest seller of autos in Japan.

Aside from motorcycle automobiles and engines Honda also produce other products such as trucks scooters robots jets and jet engines ATV water craft electrical generators marine engines lawn and garden equipment and aeronautical and other mobile technologies.

The highend lines of cars of Honda are sold under the brand Acura in North America and China. And just very recently the company has ventured into the world of mountain bikes by producing the very first bike that make use of an internal gear changing system in the Honda RN01 Gcross.

Honda produces 14 million internal combustion engines each year making it the largest enginemaker in the world. Then in the year 2004 the company has started producing diesel motors which were very quiet and at the same time do no require for particulate filters to pass pollution standards.

But in all the products that Honda has it is in the motorcycle division where its success is mostly rooted. Honda is headquartered in Tokyo. The companys shares trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange as well as exchanges in Osaka Nagoya Sapporo Kyoto Fukuoka London Paris and Switzerland.

About the writer:  Ally Wahlberg is a Computer Information Systems specialist. Ally leads an active lifestyle and he is a fan of extreme sports. He is also a car enthusiast and writing about his interests is one of his passions.

Honda Drops Honda Accord Hybrid

Hybrids are hot property these days but not so with Hondas hybrid version of the Accord.

On June 4 Honda officials announced that the company will discontinue the hybrid Accord at the end of the current model year. The new Honda Accord which will go on sale in September will not be available in a gasolineelectric hybrid version according to a company spokesman.

Hybrid cars use electric motors to supplement power from the gasoline resulting in improved fuel economy.

Since the model debut in the market in 2004 the Japanese automaker sold roughly 25000 of the cars in North America. Slightly more than 6000 were sold last year.

Auto industry analysts characterized the car’s brief run as a cautionary tale with the lesson being that only a small segment of the public will buy a vehicle that carries a high price for hybrid technology but delivers limited fuel economy compared with other gaselectric vehicles.

Federal fuel mileage estimates on the 2007 Honda Accord Hybrid came in at 28 m.p.g. in the city and 35 m.p.g. on the highway only marginally better than 26/34 m.p.g. ratings on an Accord sedan with a fourcylinder gas engine and a fivespeed manual transmission.

The 2007 Accord Hybrid ranged from 31000 to 33000 in price however compared with 18500 to 29500 for gasfueled Accord sedans.

Honda has previously announced that it will introduce a new hybrid car in 2009. That car will be smaller in size and less expensive than the Honda Civic Hybrid. The Accord a midsized car is larger and more expensive than the Civic.

The competing Toyota Camry Hybrid uses a fourcylinder engine resulting in considerably better fuel economy than the Accord Hybrid.

Hybrids accounted for 14 percent of Camrys sold last month but just 1.4 percent of Accords according to data from Power Information Networks an auto research firm. The Accord and Camry are the two bestselling passenger cars in the United States.

Honda also maker of top of the line Honda axle assembly has not revealed whether the Accord would get the diesel engine. The European version of the Accord a car sold in the United States as the Acura TSX is available in Europe with a diesel engine.

About the writer:  Ally Wahlberg is a Computer Information Systems specialist. Ally leads an active lifestyle and he is a fan of extreme sports. He is also a car enthusiast and writing about his interests is one of his passions.

Honda City Released In Australia

Showcasing new levels of performance style driving dynamics and safety the thirdgeneration Honda City release on the 4th of Feb 2009 combines excellent functionality versatility and aesthetics. Since 1996 the City has been incredibly successful in Australia and beyond with more than one million units sold in 39 countries. The variants are offered including the VTi and the VTiL.

Standard Features and New Technologies
Thoroughly equipped with central locking power mirrors and windows and iPod ready indash stereo with MP3 compatibility the new Honda City also has a wide range of safety equipments. From the dual front side and curtain airbags seatbelt pretensioners to the ABS brakes with EBD electronic brakeforce distribution car buyers can be rest assured that they are well protected against collisions and other car accidents.
Both the VTi and the VTiL are powered with a 1.5 liter SOHC iVTEC engine with an economical output of 88kW and 145 Nm. The engine can also produce a combined 6.3/100km and 147/km in manual gear. The two variants are available with 5speed automatic transmission or the 5spped manual transmission. Buyers are given a choice between their driving preferences.

There are several main differences between the VTi and the VTiL model. The VTiL is more expensive because it has tilt and telescopic steering chrome door handles 16inch alloy wheels fog lights premium trim and leather steering wheel. Similar to the Honda Jazz the Honda City release on the 4th of Feb 2009 also use the MacPherson strut front and torsion rear for maximum efficiency. It provides precise handling agility and a comfortable ride. A notable feature in the 2009 Honda City is the spaciousness of its interiors. It easily accommodates five adults and even has a bigger boot compared to the more expensive Accord.

Fuel Economy and ValueforMoney
The Managing Director of Honda Australia Yasuhide Mizuno said that the launching of the new model is welcomed by the company its dealers and customers. Although the image of Honda City is currently different in Australia compared to Asia and the United States it is expected appeals to a broad market spectrum from the younger generation to pensioners. The 2009 Honda City appeals to the young market with its edgy styling while it remaining as an attractive option for families because of its fuel economy quality and valueformoney.

Manufactured at Hondas plant in Thailand the Honda City release on the 4th of Feb 2009 made the market for compact cars all the more competitive. Aside from offering quality features the price range of new City is quite attractive as well. It ranges from AUD 17990 to AUD 21990.

More features will be available on the Honda City in 2010. Australia is a member of the UNECE WP29 Global Technical Regulation on electronic stability control ESC. It requires all passenger cars in Australia to be fitted with ESC; it also imposed new light duties. Because of this the ESC feature will be included in Honda vehicles in all future passenger cars.

About the writer:  I am 23 year old student on my last year of study at the University of Sydney Sydney majoring in Information technology.