American Honda to Test Hybrid Diesel Electric Truck

As part of its ongoing effort to reduce its global carbon dioxide footprint and fuel consumption, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., of Torrance, Calif., introduced a Class 8 hybrid diesel electric truck into its fleet at its parts center in Alpharetta, Ga., according to a March 6 press release. Built for Honda by Peterbilt Motors Company, the Smartway(SM)-certified Model 386 hybrid truck is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 45 tons per year, as compared to its diesel counterpart.

Honda uses Class 8 trucks to transport service parts between its parts centers and dealerships. The company's diesel truck fleet, operated by its truck fleet partner, UPS Freight Truckload, typically travels 300,000 miles per day.


The hybrid truck will be used along two routes — a hilly route in Tennessee and a relatively flat one in Georgia — in order to evaluate the truck's fuel economy under various driving conditions. Honda will alternate the hybrid with a standard diesel truck and will collect data using engine telematics to accurately compare the performance of the two trucks on the same routes. Testing and evaluation will take place over the next year. "We're excited to add this environmentally advanced truck to our fleet," said Jim Roach, senior vice president of Parts and Service. "With our truck fleet driving hundreds of thousands of miles per day, we feel this is a great opportunity for Honda to further reduce its carbon footprint." The hybrid truck operates much like a hybrid passenger vehicle, utilizing a parallel diesel-electric hybrid system developed by Eaton Corporation. Similar to Honda's hybrid vehicles, Peterbilt's truck captures energy during braking and stores it in its system's batteries. The system also improves fuel efficiency and lowers emissions by powering the heating, air conditioning, and vehicle electrical systems utilizing a no idle auxiliary power unit while the engine is off.


In addition, Honda will soon be adding a Peterbilt Class 7 medium duty hybrid truck at its parts centers in Irving, Texas, and Alpharetta, Ga.


Source;
http://www.eponline.com/articles/71167/

Honda's Environmental Technology Milestones

Developing cleaner products is not a new mandate for Honda. Coupled with world-class quality and technology, Honda has routinely incorporated environmentally-focused features into its products for more than 40 years. A few examples include:

* Since 1964 Honda has manufactured only four-stroke outboard motors. Cleaner, more fuel-efficient and quieter than traditional two-stroke outboards, four-stroke motors also do not release oil directly into the water;

* In 1972 Honda introduced the Controlled Vortex Combustion Chamber (CVCC) engine. The CVCC was the first automobile engine capable of meeting the 1970 Clean Air Act without the weight, cost, and complexity of a catalytic converter;

* In 1997 Honda entered the handheld power-equipment market with a noticeably quiet and fuel-efficient trimmer/brush cutter powered by the world’s first 360-degree inclinable mini-four-stroke engine;

* In 1998 Honda became the first company to introduce an entire line of high-performance outboard motors that met the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) year 2006 emission standards;

* In 2000 Honda became the first auto company to receive the EPA’s Climate Protection Award for development of the Honda Insight, the first gas-electric hybrid vehicle sold in the United States;

* In 2002 Honda became the first automaker in the world to market a fuel cell vehicle certified by the U.S. EPA and the state of California. The 2005 Honda FCX also features its own fuel cell stack capable of cold weather operation;

* In 2003 Honda introduced the HRX lawnmower, the first to enable simultaneous distribution of grass clippings to both the bag and the ground with no additional equipment. Whether the user chooses to mulch, compost or dispose of the bagged clippings, all of the options provided by the HRX are better for the environment than conventional clipping disposal.

The Honda Environment Statement
As a responsible member of society determined to help preserve the global environment, Honda makes concerted efforts to contribute to human health and preservation of the global environment in each phase of its corporate activities and to stay at the forefront of such endeavors.

Source;
http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=1068