R&D
Honda was the first international
automaker with the capability to perform
complete product creation in America.
Data Points
RESEARCHED & DEVELOPED IN AMERICA
- One-third of all Honda and Acura model-year 2012 passenger car models and three-quarters of all light truck models sold in America were researched, designed, and developed in America.
- Honda invests 5 percent of its global revenues in R&D operations annually.
- 24 distinct Honda and Acura auto and light truck models have been researched, designed, and developed in the U.S. since 1991.
- Honda and Acura operate separate and independently-dedicated design centers in California for research and development.
- The Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, and Acura ZDX are the latest examples of “complete product creation” - Honda's ability to develop vehicles in the U.S., from initial product concept all the way through mass production.
- High strength steel is found in up to 59 percent of each new Honda and Acura white body, helping the company achieve its weight reduction goals to maintain fuel economy leadership while enhancing both safety and performance.
- HondaJet is equipped with the fuel efficient Honda-GE HF120 turbofan jet engine and the Honda-patented over-the-wing engine configuration. Coupled with a natural-laminar flow (NLF) wing and fuselage nose, and an advanced all-composite fuselage structure, HondaJet fuel efficiency is increased by as much as 20 percent compared to other jets in its class.
- Honda performs power equipment R&D in the U.S. at its research center in Swepsonville, N.C.
- Honda Performance Development, Inc., established in 1993 and located in Santa Clarita, C.A., is the technical operations center for Honda's high-performance racing program. The facility houses comprehensive engine design, engineering development, preparation, rebuilding and inspection areas, transit-style dynamometer test cells, machine shop, parts center, and administrative support facilities. It is also the sole engine supplier to the IndyCar Series. For more, watch the video.
- During the past decade, efforts by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. have yielded such diverse outcomes as advances in nano technology and humanoid robotics, the fuel-efficient HondaJet, real-world applications of fuel cell technology, and innovations in thin-film solar cells.
Honda’s American R&D operations
develop all-new vehicles starting from
market and technology research and
design-styling through engineering design,
prototype fabrication and testing, local
parts procurement, and support for mass
production preparation.
Honda’s R&D Operations Across the U.S.
| U.S. R&D Locations | Activities |
|---|---|
| Torrance, CA | Automobile & Motorcycle Research & Development; Honda Design Studio |
| Torrance, CA | Acura Design Studio |
| Pasadena, CA | Advance Design Studio |
| Mountain View, CA | Honda Research Institute—Advanced Technology Research |
| Silicon Valley, CA | Advanced Technology Research |
| Denver, CO | Automobile Emissions Testing |
| Grant-Valkaria, FL | Marine Engine Research & Testing |
| Detroit, MI | Automobile Technology Research |
| Burlington, NC | Aircraft Engine Research & Development |
| Greensboro, NC | Aircraft Research & Development |
| Haw River, NC | Power Equipment Research & Development |
| Cincinnati, OH | Aircraft Engine Research & Development |
| Columbus, OH | Honda Research Institute—Advance Technology Research |
| Raymond, OH | Automobile & All-Terrain Vehicle Research & Development |
| Timmonsville, SC | All-Terrain Vehicle Research & Development |
Improving Fuel Economy by Reducing Aerodynamic Drag
Honda R&D’s new Wind Tunnel facility in Ohio will help improve vehicle fuel economy by eliminating sources of aerodynamic drag not only around the exterior shape, but also across the underbody, through the engine room, and around wheels and tires. By combining Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation techniques with wind tunnel test results, Honda R&D can reduce aerodynamic drag very early in the development process, when vehicle and system designs are most flexible.
Thinking Ahead
Honda’s passion for the advancement of
mobility has led the company to explore the
field of humanoid robotics. 25 years of
research by Honda engineers resulted in
many technologies that hold promise as new
products or applications to Honda product
lines. Many of these technologies came
from ASIMO, one of the world’s most
sophisticated humanoid robots.
