Honda Motor Co. reached the 100 million-unit milestone in cumulative global automobile production.
Honda began automobile production in 1963 with the production of the T360 mini-truck and the S500 sports car. A year later Honda constructed the first Honda plant, which was dedicated to automobile production in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture. The new plant began production of a further model, the iconic S600 roadster.
Since that time, Honda increased its annual production volume. The brand’s current line-up focuses on global models such as the Jazz small hatchback, Civic family hatchback and Accord family saloon. The HR-V and CR-V SUVs, both global best-sellers in their respective segments along with the latest incarnation of Honda’s supercar, the NSX. In 2016, Honda has 34 automobile production facilities on five continents.
Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor, commented: “Thanks to the support from our customers around the world, Honda was able to deliver 100 million automobiles. The passion of our company founder who wanted to help people in their daily lives and pursue the joy of driving has been inherited by Honda associates as the original starting point of Honda automobile manufacturing. Striving to meet the next 100 million customers, Honda will continue delivering increasingly attractive products.”
Honda began automobile production in 1963 with the production of the T360 mini-truck and the S500 sports car
Meanwhile Honda R&D Co., the R&D subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., announced that it is entering into formal discussions with Waymo, an independent company of Alphabet Inc., to integrate its self-driving technology with Honda vehicles. This technical collaboration will allow both companies to learn about the integration of fully self-driving sensors, software and computer into Honda vehicles.
The Japanese manufacturer could initially provide Waymo with vehicles modified to accommodate Waymo’s self-driving technology. These vehicles would join Waymo’s fleet, which are currently being tested across four U.S. cities.
This collaboration would take place with Honda R&D engineers based in Silicon Valley, California and Tochigi, Japan. They would work closely with Waymo engineers based in Mountain View, California and Novi, Michigan.
Honda timeline
1948 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. established
1963 Production of the T360 mini-truck started at Saitama Factory
1969 Production of N600 and TN360 by component parts sets started in Taiwan and that was Honda’s first overseas auto production. Meanwhile production of N360 started in Malaysia
1975 Production of Civic and other models started in Indonesia and in 1978 cumulative production reached 5 million units
1982 Production of Accord started in the U.S., while in 1983 cumulative production reached 10 million units
1984 Production of Accord started in Thailand and in 1986 – in Canada, while in 1990 cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 20 million units
1992 Production of Accord started in the U.K. and in 1994 – of Civic in Pakistan
1995 Cumulative worldwide production reached 30 million units while production of Accord started in Mexico
1997 Production of Civic started in Brazil and Turkey and of City – in India
1999 Cumulative worldwide production reached 40 million units, while production of Accord started in China
2003 Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 50 million units
2015 Production of Accord started in Nigeria
2016 Cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reached 100 million units
