Sep 19, 2022 | Business
F.C.C. TSR Honda France, running second in the 2022 FIM* Endurance World Championship (EWC), made a comeback to win this year’s championship in the final round, the Bol d’Or 2022, held at Circuit Paul Ricard on September 17 – 18. The team has won the title for the second time, its first in the 2017-2018 season.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France kicked off its 2022 campaign with riders Josh Hook (29 years old, Australia), Geno Rea (33 years old, UK) and Mike Di Meglio (24 years old, France) on a Honda CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP.
In the season-opener, the 24 Heures Motos held at Le Mans, the team qualified third, and finished third. In Round 2, the 24H SPA EWC Motos, the team started fourth on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps grid, and although down to tenth place mid-race, made a dramatic comeback to fourth, and a last lap charge by Rea gave them third in the final results.
In Round 3, the Suzuka 8 Hours, held for the first time in three years, Rea crashed during free practice and was transported by helicopter to a hospital. Hook and Di Meglio was left to ride the eight-hour classic at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie. They qualified fourth, and although they faced numerous problems throughout the race, reclaimed places and finished tenth.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France headed into the final round, the Bol d’Or 2022, second overall, 23 points behind the series leader. Alan Techer (28 years old, France), one of the riders in the team’s previous victory in 2017-2018, stood in for Rea, in the hope that his experience will help them reclaim the title. The team started from fourth on the grid at 3:00 pm on the 17th. Two incidents sent their placing down to 28th, but consistent and determined riding brought the team back up to 4th place by the time the race ended at 3:00 pm on the 18th. As other championship contenders fail to complete the race, F.C.C. TSR Honda France won the overall championship.
Josh Hook | F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“I have learned from the past to never take a result for granted before the chequered flag. We have come back from complicated situations in the past and nothing is ever certain. Like everyone else, we did our race and never gave up. We did very well, all three of us were fast, especially at night. We were quickly no longer in a position to fight for victory, so we focused on the championship, which was clearly the priority goal. We chose to take care of the engine as much as possible to avoid the problems that most of our competitors have. And it’s done!”
Mike Di Meglio | F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“I’m very happy to finally be World Endurance Champion! I came so close with GMT94 and I’m really proud of this title after so many years of fighting for it. It was a really tough race. We had some problems and our opponents were forced to stop one after the other. When Tati Team #4 was fighting at the front, we decided to build up enough of a gap to our chaser to get out of trouble. But when they dropped down the rankings, we changed our strategy to preserve the engine as much as possible by shifting earlier on the straight. It was the best thing to do because the world championship was more important than a podium finish.”
Alan Techer | F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“It was a complicated race for everyone, we also had some mechanical problems. The team worked hard to reduce the time spent in the pits and, with my teammates, we did our best to respect the race plan. The objective was clearly the title, and after the Suzuki’s retirement, we battled with the Tati Team, my former team. This is a special emotion for me, because I win this title with the team that had already given me the chance to be champion in 2018. We also have a big thought for Gino to whom we dedicate this title.”
* FIM: Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme
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Sep 9, 2022 | Business
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) today announced that it has established a strategic partnership with Hanwa Co., Ltd. (Hanwa), a major Japan-based trading company, toward stable procurement of essential metals for batteries necessary for its electrified vehicles.
To realize carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda is striving to make battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCVs) represent 100% of its global vehicle sales by 2040. Toward this target, Honda is planning to launch 30 EV models globally by 2030 with production volume of more than 2 million units annually.
For steady execution of its electrification strategy, Honda established a strategic partnership with Hanwa, a major trading company that has strengths in the field of resource procurement. Through this partnership, Honda will ensure stable procurement in the medium to long term, of essential metals necessary for batteries such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, positioning the mined resources secured by Hanwa at the core.
Honda will continue working with a wide range of suppliers to ensure stable supply of necessary resources, that will enable Honda to steadily execute its electrification strategy leading to the realization of Honda’s carbon neutrality goal.
Copyright ©2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network.
Aug 6, 2022 | Business
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) today announced that it has signed an agreement to transfer all shares of Honda Lock Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Honda Lock), a consolidated wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda, to MinebeaMitsumi Inc., a manufacturer of machinery components and electronic devices.
In the midst of major changes in the business environment, Honda is working to optimize its business portfolio to better leverage the strengths of each individual Honda company, including those of its consolidated subsidiaries. As a result of studying the future growth potential of Honda Lock, including the advancement of its key products into electronic devices, Honda concluded that Honda Lock will experience further growth in the future by conducting business as a part of the MinebeaMitsumi Group, which has strengths in technologies and value creation in a diverse range of industries and technology areas beyond automobile components. Based on this assessment, Honda decided to proceed with this stock transfer, which is expected to be completed before the end of 2022, after going through various transfer procedures including obtaining regulatory approvals.
For more information, visit https://global.honda/newsroom/news/2022/c220804eng.html.
Topic: Press release summary
Aug 4, 2022 | Business
Following discussions between Red Bull and Honda, it has been agreed by both parties that Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the Honda subsidiary that runs its racing activities, will continue to provide technical support for Red Bull Powertrains (RBPT) relating to Formula 1 power units from 2023 to the end of 2025.
In 2022, HRC has been providing PU-related technical support in line with Red Bull’s request to Honda, with both Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri therefore using the PU from the support program.
The extension of the existing agreement for HRC to continue providing technical support from 2023 to 2025 has now been mutually agreed between Red Bull and Honda.
Honda officially ended its participation in Formula 1 at the end of 2021, with the resources allocated to PU development diverted to meet the company’s future carbon-neutral goals. The ongoing agreement between the two parties does not involve PU development, therefore HRC will be able to provide this service from within its current resources.
Dr. Helmut Marko, Motorsport Advisor, Oracle Red Bull Racing:
“We thank Honda for their positive response to working together. We are excited to continue our partnership in F1 until the end of 2025 with the PU supplied by Honda. We have had a successful relationship so far, winning the Drivers’ championship in 2021 and currently leading the Drivers’ and Teams’ classifications, with the aim of securing both 2022 titles.”
Christian Horner, Red Bull Powertrains CEO and Team Principal:
“Red Bull’s partnership with Honda has been an incredibly successful one and we are pleased that this will continue until the end of the current era of the FIA’s power unit regulations in 2025.”
Koji Watanabe, Head of Corporate Communications Supervisory Unit,
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and President of Honda Racing Corporation:
“We have agreed to continue supporting Red Bull Power Trains in Formula 1 through HRC, following Red Bull’s request to extend our current agreement, which HRC can meet within its existing resources. Once again, we aim to use our involvement in the pinnacle of motorsport for the development of technologies and of our workforce.”
Topic: Press release summary
Jul 15, 2022 | Business
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today launched a teaser page on its company website to share initial information on the ZR-V, an all-new SUV scheduled to go on sale in Japan this fall. Honda will release more details about the model in stages, including its plan to begin taking pre-orders in September of this year.
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| All-new ZR-V |
ZR-V teaser page: https://www.honda.co.jp/ZR-V/new/ (Japanese only)
Concept
Based on the grand concept of “Unleash your potential,” the all-new ZR-V was developed as a model to uplift the spirit of customers, like a favorite “special day” piece of clothing, and bring out their individuality. Key features include beautiful and sophisticated design, developed under the key words “glamorous & elegant,” and dynamic performance, achieved with a goal to realize driving at the will of the driver. These attributes will enable the driver to enjoy the vehicle with more confidence and in a relaxing manner, a value new to SUV models.
Key Features
Designs
All-new ZR-V adopts smart and elegant design which makes this model fit well in urban environments.
The exterior design features flowing proportions characterized by large, smooth surfaces that flow from front to rear.
The design of the front-fascia features a vertical grille, designed in concert with surrounding areas, and sharp-looking, wide-set headlights that flow horizontally. These features create a highly sophisticated expression, yet with stature and a strong presence.
The rear of the body is shaped to emphasize the vehicle’s wide tread by adding volume around the bottom of the body, with a smooth, upswept look.
The interior design realized a spacious cabin by adopting an instrument panel that stretches out horizontally in a linear fashion. Moreover, the interior design features a functional and precise finish on all parts to accentuate the beauty of the form, creating a high-quality interior space that is one class above the competition.
In addition, a high-deck center console separates the front seats to create personal space for the driver and front passenger.
Packaging
By realizing both a low, stable driving position and a view of the road with great visibility, the packaging design enhanced the ease of driving and sense of oneness the driver will feel with this vehicle. In addition to a wide, horizontal forward field of vision, the rear view was designed to make it easier for the driver to recognize objects behind the vehicle, including vehicles and pedestrians, thereby pursuing excellent visibility while driving.
As with the front seats, the hip point of the rear seats was set low to allow greater freedom for the end point of the roof design, resulting in both a sleek roof line and enhanced aerodynamic performance.
Moreover, a variety of user-friendly storage spaces are provided, ensuring excellent utility to meet various customer needs.
Powertrain
The hybrid model of the all-new ZR-V will be the first Honda SUV to be equipped with the Sports e:HEV that combines a 2.0-liter direct injection engine that debuted on the Civic e:HEV and the advanced 2-motor hybrid system (e-CVT). The all-new ZR-V e:HEV will offer a high-quality, exhilarating and one-class-above driving experience in various driving situations including driving on city and suburban roads, highways and winding roads.
The all-new ZR-V also will be available as a gasoline-powered model equipped with a 1.5-liter turbo engine with CVT, which offers highly-responsive and sporty driving.
Both hybrid and gasoline models offer a real-time AWD variation, which enables customers to drive on snowy roads with greater peace of mind by realizing outstanding performance in making turns and climbing up snowy roads.
Pre-launch exhibits of all-new ZR-V in Japan
Starting on Saturday, August 13, 2022 (Japan time), Honda will hold pre-launch showcasing of the production models of all-new ZR-V at various locations in Japan. Please visit and enjoy an initial look at the highly-sophisticated ZR-V.
– August 13-14, 2022: The “BIGMAN” square at Hankyu Umeda Station, Osaka, Japan
– August 20-21, 2022: The event space at Tokyo Station (near the Yaesu Central Exit)
– August 27-28, 2022: The JR Gate Tower at Nagoya Station, Aichi, Japan
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