GM, Honda announce North America car alliance

NEW YORK - General Motors and Honda announced Thursday they were establishing a strategic alliance in North America to share vehicle platforms and development costs.

The venture builds on existing partnerships on electric cars and fuel cell systems and comes as automakers face pressure to develop autonomous driving and other envelope-pushing technologies amid uncertain vehicle demand in the wake of the economic downturn due to the coronavirus.

A joint press release said the venture would save money from shared vehicle platforms and propulsion systems, joint purchasing and shared research and development spending. 

GM's US rival Ford has teamed up with German giant Volkswagen to jointly develop electric and self-driving vehicles, and a pending merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot also aims to hold costs down.

Morningstar analyst David Whiston said there few details offered on the extent of the financial savings to either firm, but that "the alliance can make sense" if Honda makes headway in some of the truck segments where it lags and GM benefits from Honda's expertise with smaller cars.

"We see the agreement as a low-risk and potentially high-reward move for both firms, and their prior history lowers the risk of tension and poor cooperation," Whiston said.

Agence France-Presse

Alibaba's smart speaker to feature in Audi, Renault, Honda cars

SHANGHAI -- China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd on Tuesday said its voice-controlled assistant will feature in local vehicles from Audi AG, Renault SA and Honda Motor Co Ltd, as the tech giant expands in artificial intelligence.

The Tmall Genie Auto smart speaker will allow drivers to use voice commands to, for instance, place orders on Alibaba's online retail platform and buy movie tickets, Alibaba said at the CES Asia 2019 technology trade show in Shanghai.

In the near future, the speaker will also allow drivers to monitor and control smart devices at houses equipped with a Tmall Genie-compatible device, Alibaba said in a joint statement with the three automakers, without specifying vehicle models.

"We are thrilled to partner with global, distinguished auto brands such as Audi, Renault and Honda," said Miffy Chen, general manager at Alibaba AI Labs. "Together, we can greatly enhance our in-car services and make driving experiences more intelligent and interconnected."

The Tmall Genie is akin to Amazon.com Inc's Echo. Alibaba launched the device in 2017 and released an auto version in April last year. Other automakers that have said they will install the device in their vehicles include BMW and Volvo Cars.

Amazon also has a vehicle version of its Echo, dubbed the Echo Auto, which it announced in September.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Honda to pay $605 million to settle Takata air bag lawsuit

NEW YORK - Honda Motor Co. said Friday it has agreed to pay $605 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. vehicle owners seeking compensation for economic losses related to recalls of Takata Corp. air bags.

With the settlement by Honda, the Japanese automaker which had sold the most vehicles carrying Takata air bags, six automakers from Japan and Germany will pay a total of more than $1.2 billion in compensation following the class action lawsuit.

The settlement will cover expenses including taxi fares incurred while the owners' cars are under repair as well as an outreach program to ensure air bags are replaced, according to Honda and a document regarding the lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Toyota Motor Corp., Mazda Motor Corp., Subaru Corp. and BMW AG reached a settlement in May for payments totaling $553 million. In August, Nissan Motor Co. also reached a settlement with vehicle owners to pay at least $97 million.

Ford Motor Co. has yet to settle the lawsuit and plaintiffs will continue seeking a settlement, according to U.S. media.

Honda has started its own program to call on vehicle owners to replace air bags.

A Honda official said the payment is unlikely to have a major impact on the company's earnings as it has already factored in some of the expenses resulting from the settlement.

Takata air bags have proved liable to explosions in which metal fragments have been known to spray at drivers and passengers. The defective inflators could have led to 13 deaths in the United States, where a total of 42 million vehicles across 19 automakers are subject to recall.

Takata has filed for bankruptcy protection as part of a restructuring scheme to restore its business that has been badly battered by the global recall of its defective air bag systems.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Honda to unveil new CBR150R

MANILA -- Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI) is set to present the new incarnate of the Honda CBR150R to local motorcycling enthusiasts at the Bonifacio Global City on Sunday.

The all new CBR150R will be formally unveiled during the Honda Red Zone event.

According to Honda, the new bike boasts of exceptional handling and control features, supported by pro-link suspension that provides stability at all speeds and road conditions.

It has a 150cc, liquid-cooled, 4 stroke, DOHC – 4 valve engine that delivers up to 12.6kW/ 9,000rpm max power and 13.0 Nm/7,500 rpm max power of torque.

The CBR150R, which will come in red, nitric orange, and black, also has a sleek and aggressive design derived from Honda’s race bikes.

Meanwhile, Honda will be testing the new bike at the Honda Red Zone in a specially-designed 1-km race track at the Bonifacio Global City.

The highlight of the event is an exhibition ride and challenges to showcase what the new bike could do.

Event attendees can also test ride the Gen S models as well as buy motoring parts and accessories from sales booths. Providing entertainment for the event is popular Pinoy band Parokya ni Edgar.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Honda is recalling 4.89-M vehicles

TOKYO - Honda on Thursday said it is recalling 4.89 million vehicles over fears about airbag inflators that could explode, widening a global auto parts crisis linked to several deaths.

Japan's number three automaker announced the recall just a day after Toyota and Nissan said they were calling back a combined 6.5 million vehicles over fears about airbags made by embattled supplier Takata.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Honda launches fuel-injected Click 125i scooter

MANILA, Philippines – Honda Philippines will officially unveil what it calls as the "Future of Scooters" to local motorists on Saturday.

The fuel-injected Honda Click 125i will now be available to the Philippine market, a year after Honda introduced its Zoomer-X.

With the younger generation of riders in mind, Honda engineers have blessed the Click 125i with aggressive and sporty design that projects a “slim and sharp” image.

Aside from its aesthetic features, Click 125i also comes with Combined Brake System (CBS) or the “combi brake” that balances braking the rear wheels and front optimally with just a squeeze of the left brake lever.

However, the thing that really sets the scooter apart from others is the Enhance Smart Power (eSP) technology and the new Idling Stop System (ISS).

Elie Salamangkit Jr., Honda’s New Model & Accessory Development manager, said Click 125i’s eSP technology is integrated with the Unique Honda ACG starter that is able to start the engine jolt-free and with a more refined sound.

The Click 125i’s engine is started via the same AC generator used to generate electricity and charge the battery while riding.

“This eliminates the need for a conventional starter motor, thus there are no reduction gears and gear meshing noises… just smooth, quiet starts,” said Salamangkit.

He added that the eSP technology also serves as the basis for the application of advanced feature Idling Stop System (ISS), which automatically shuts the engine down after 3 seconds of idling. The engine will instantly roar back into life with just a twist of the throttle.

Salamangkit said the ISS is very useful especially when the rider stops at a red light.

“It automatically switches the engine off at traffic lights and other briefs stop, eliminating wasteful fuel consumption, another demonstration of Honda's commitment to preserving energy,” he said.

The PGM-FI built-in liquid-cooled engine boasts of 8.40 kW (11.4PS) @8500 RPM maximum power and 11.16 N.m @6500 RPM maximum torque. It has a factory-claimed fuel efficiency of 64.3 km/liter at 50kph or 58.9KM/liter under ECE R40 testing method.

The Click 125i also comes with an 18-liter luggage capacity, which is capable of storing a full-face helmet, and an LCD meter panel. It is also gifted with a pair of Keen Eyes LED headlights that provide 80% higher light intensity and 80% more efficient power consumption.

Honda Philippines President Yasushi Okamoto said their new scooter will be able to satisfy the taste of the younger generation of motorcyclists.

"This scooter will answer customer wants for superior sophistication, outstanding features and standout design," he said.

The scooter had its press launch last Wednesday. It will have its public launch on Saturday.

Honda Click 125i comes in three different colors: Pearl Horizon White, Asteroid Black Metallic, and Candy Rosy Red.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Japanese automakers recall 3-M vehicles globally for airbag

TOKYO - Japanese automakers on Monday recalled nearly three million vehicles worldwide over an airbag defect that could pose a fire risk.

Honda said it recalled about 2,033,000 vehicles which were produced between August 2000 and December 2005, including more than one million in North America and 668,000 in Japan.

Two other automakers -- Mazda and Nissan -- also recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles over the same problem, which was also responsible for earlier recalls by Toyota.

Japan's Takata Corp., which made the airbag, noted its US subsidiary had manufactured the airbag, apologising for the problem and vowing to make its utmost efforts to prevent a recurrence.

"We apologise deeply for causing tremendous trouble and worries to client companies, users of our products and other people concerned," the company said in a statement.

Nissan recalled a combined 755,000 vehicles, including 128,000 in Japan and 627,000 overseas.

"In North America, 228,000 are on the recall list, with 7,000 in China," a Nissan spokesman said.

A Mazda spokeswoman said: "The recall will cover 11,832 vehicles at home and 147,975 units overseas, mainly in Europe and China."

Subject to Honda's recall are a total of 13 types of vehicles in Japan including popular Fit and Accord models.

Front passenger airbag inflators could have been assembled with an improperly manufactured propellant component, Japan's third largest automaker said.

That could cause the container of the inflator to rupture in the event of a crash, posing a fire risk or injuring passengers, it added.

The same problem has also caused top automaker Toyota to recall millions of vehicles globally.

Toyota has earlier said it acted as it received a complaint from a Japanese customer who said his passenger seat was burned from the defect.

Honda said the company had received no complaint or reports of injuries on its own.

Honda shares closed down 0.63 percent at 3,602 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange while Takata soared 2.87 percent to 2,111 yen.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Honda becomes 1st Japan automaker to be net exporter from US

Honda Motor Co last year exported more cars out of the United States than it imported into the country, claiming a first among major Japanese automakers.

More than 30 years after it began building cars in the U.S., the company's North American arm said it shipped 108,705 Honda and Acura brand vehicles out of the U.S. in 2013. The company imported 88,537 vehicles into the U.S. from Japan.

Rick Schostek, Honda North America's executive vice president, told reporters on a conference call the milestone was "one that's been 30 years in the making". The exported vehicles carried a value of $2.658 billion.

The net exporter status is also the product of significant recent investment - Honda has put more than $2.7 billion into expanding its North American auto plants in the past three years. That's part of a strategy designed to boost production in the U.S. and make cars close to the markets where they are sold, said Schostek.

Honda shipped from U.S. plants last year to 50 countries, but most of the exports went to Mexico. Honda did not include shipments to Canada in its U.S. export figures.

Having begun importing the gas-sipping subcompact Civic into the U.S. in 1973, Honda began making cars in the country in 1982. Its Marysville, Ohio, plant, was the first to be owned by a Japanese auto company in the U.S., and the Accord sedan was the first model to roll off its assembly line.

The company now has seven auto assembly plants in North America, including four in the United States. An eighth plant in Celaya in Mexico opens next month, making the Honda Fit subcompact.

From 1987 to 2012, 1 million Honda vehicles were exported after production at U.S. plants. In 1988, it exported an Accord Coupe to Japan for the first time, but the company now does not export any U.S.-made products to its home base in Japan.

EXPORT-IMPORT TREND

The 2013 numbers marked a significant switch from a year earlier as Honda stepped up investment and production. In 2012, Honda imports to the U.S. market were about 136,000, outnumbering exports from its U.S. of about 74,000.

Honda also set a record last year for the number of vehicles it built at U.S. plants, about 1.3 million. Including plants in Canada and Mexico, Honda made 1.78 million vehicles in North America.

Honda's trend toward increasing its exports from U.S. and North American plants will continue in the next few years, Schostek said.

The gap in favor of imports to the U.S. market was substantially wider just five years ago, when 187,000 Honda and Acura vehicles came into the U.S. market while only about 20,000 were exported.

The weaker yen had little impact on imports from Japan in the U.S. market, primarily due to the long-term strategy of localized production, Honda said.

Schostek said boosting U.S. exports by the company is aided by the increasing reliance on U.S.-based research and development of Honda and Acura vehicles sold in North America. A third of the Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. were designed and developed there, Schostek said.

Honda says that 95 percent of the vehicles it sells in North America are made at local plants.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Honda recalls 50,000 US cars to fix driveshaft

CHICAGO -- Honda plans to recall about 50,000 Civic sedans in the United States to fix a problem with the drive shaft, the Japanese automaker said Tuesday.

Honda said the drive shaft in certain 2012 models were not properly assembled and could come loose.

"If separation occurs, the engine will no longer propel the vehicle in any gear, and the vehicle may roll away if the parking brake has not been set when the gear selector has been placed in the Park position, increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury," Honda said in a statement.

The automaker will cover the cost of all repairs.

No crashes or injuries have been reported related to the defect, Honda added.

source: interaksyon.com

No resumption of local Civic assembly, says Honda

MANILA, Philippines – The country will no longer resume domestic assembly of the Honda Civic, after the Japanese carmaker decided to produce the ninth generation of the model in Thailand.

During the launch of its latest model, Tatsuya Natsume, president and general manager of Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), told reporters that the company would not be responsible for manufacturing the latest model of the Civic after local assembly of the car halted in July last year.

Following the halt in domestic production, the Philippines had been importing the Civic from Japan until an earthquake in September altogether cut off supply of the model. Japanese imports have since resumed, especially after massive flooding disrupted Honda’s operations in Thailand. But once the Thai operations have normalized, the Philippines would resume completely built up (CBU) imports from Bangkok, Natsume said.

He said the Philippines lacked “economies of scale,” with a capacity of only 9,000 to 10,000 units at HCPI’s Sta. Rosa, Laguna plant. In contrast, Honda’s Thai unit has an annual capacity of 240,000.

Add to that, the Asean Free Trade Area has brought down tariffs on CBU imports from other members of the bloc to zero. CBU imports from Japan are slapped a higher 20 percent tariff.

Despite the end of its Civic assembly operations, HCPI would retain the 530 workers, redeploying them to the manufacture of the City, Natsume said.

He said the unfilled capacity would be replaced by the growing demand for the City.
“City’s sales is a lot higher so its better to continue City and that has replaced Civic volume,” the executive said.

HCPI sold 9,000 units of the City last year.

Meanwhile, sales of the ninth generation Civic are forecast at 350 units a month, a far cry from the earlier models’ 9,000 a month sales.

HCPI sales dropped by 30 percent to 11,611 units last year from 16,604 units in 2010.
The car manufacturer blamed the drop in sales on the lack of supply of units because of the tsunami and earthquake in Japan as well as the flooding in Thailand last year.

source: interaksyon.com

Honda Recall-Philippines

Japanese Car Maker Honda Motor Co., Ltd. in Japan recently issued a voluntary safety recall of 77 units of Civic 1.6 VTi-S produced locally from 2001-2002 which are affected.

This is the third Honda Recall in seven years and had affected about 1.4 million Honda cars