WongKN
 |
|
Sorry, I posted this in the wrong forum and need to repost this again here.
At the ground laying ceremony for Honda's expansion of the Malaysian plant yesterday, the most significant announcement was that assembly of the Jazz/Fit Hybrid will be done at the Honda Malaysia plant, for export to Asia and Oceania (including Australia/New Zealand I presume). I had thought it would be the first hybrid assembly outside of Japan but the press release says it is the SECOND assembly of hybrid outside Japan, the first being in the U.S.A. This confuses me somewhat as what I know at the moment is that there are three IMA models sold in the U.S. : Insight, CR-Z, and HCH. So which one of these are being assembled in the U.S. And I remember complaints of uncompetitive pricings for the hybrids in the U.S. Why would this be so if the cars are assembled in the U.S. ?
Anyone knows ? Of hand, I would guess the HCH is probably locally assembled in the U.S.
|
TurkMan71
|
|
|
If I'm not mistaken, I think it might be the Acura ILX hybrid....
|
danielgr
|
|
It's the ILX Wong, the civic will only join next year.
http://hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/honda-s-indiana-plant-to-boost-production-capacity-add-civic-hybrid
cheers,
Daniel
|
CR-V9
|
|
I'd guess this means that they will ship the hybrid components to the US because the cars themselves are already manufavtured in the US.
I've been thinking about this for a while. I think that their flexible manufacturing is depended on platforms. I don't think the US production lines are not able to adapt to the Fit(CRZ, Fit, Insight) platform. As long as the basic platform is the same the they can produce in the same line, technically. It's my musings. That's all.
|
DrWhiner
|
|
danielgr wrote:
It's the ILX Wong, the civic will only join next year.
http://hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/honda-s-indiana-plant-to-boost-production-capacity-add-civic-hybrid
cheers,
Daniel
|
And there are reports that the Civic hatchback hybrid will be made in Swindon.
|
DrWhiner
|
|
CR-V9 wrote:
I'd guess this means that they will ship the hybrid components to the US because the cars themselves are already manufavtured in the US.
I've been thinking about this for a while. I think that their flexible manufacturing is depended on platforms. I don't think the US production lines are not able to adapt to the Fit(CRZ, Fit, Insight) platform. As long as the basic platform is the same the they can produce in the same line, technically. It's my musings. That's all.
|
With the confirmed production of NSX II in Ohio, I would not be surprised if Honda considers to move the battery pack (or even the motor) production to the U.S.
|
danielgr
|
|
CR-V9 wrote:
I'd guess this means that they will ship the hybrid components to the US because the cars themselves are already manufavtured in the US.
I've been thinking about this for a while. I think that their flexible manufacturing is depended on platforms. I don't think the US production lines are not able to adapt to the Fit(CRZ, Fit, Insight) platform. As long as the basic platform is the same the they can produce in the same line, technically. It's my musings. That's all.
|
I don't think that with the current hybrid yields Honda can afford to build local hybrid parts in either Malaysia or the US, but on the other side making full cars (specially cheap cars such as Civic/Fit) in Japan for export = losing a fair bit of money when exporting with current and foreseeable exchange rates + no FTA's on sight.
So basically I'd expect Honda Japan to keep producing the highest added value elements (the hybrid components) centralized in Japan and let the vehicle assembly part to be done locally.
For the Civic/ILX it's specially important if you consider that those models are not sold in Japan anymore. Indeed, you may have noticed, but this 9th generation is the first ever Civic not to be sold at home. Now, when Honda was selling it back in Japan making a few more for the US may have viable (not ideal but viable), but now that they've turned it into a foreign car it just makes little sense, no matter how flexible their Japanese factories are.
|
CarPhreakD
|
|
|
Honda has just announced that the Honda Civic Hybrid will now be built in the USA. And again... for the first time in a long time... the US will be a export market again. Maybe "Made in the USA" will mean something again!
|
DrWhiner
|
|
|
So, the rumor of building Fit hybrid in Thai is now dead?
|
DrWhiner
|
|
1. The current sales of Civic hybrids are low and I don't think Honda is satisfied with the situation.
2. Honda looks to have high hopes with its PHEV (would Honda also produced the U.S. model in the U.S.?) that will be launched before the end of the year and AFAIK they share similar battery tech. [BTW, the Fit EV uses a diff. battery];
3. Blue Eneergy, the JV w/ GS Yuasa announced a three times boost of its production by fall 2012;
4. battery packs are bulky and expensiive. I guess it would add further costs if it has a long supply chain.
On a side note:
i) the battery in N-box is able to supply power to the car's electronics systems, such as NAVI, audio AND air conditioning (although I guess it just have enough capacity for normal stops at traffic lights, not during heavy traffic congestion), when the engine is shut down during idle-stops;
ii) "Honda today announced its first delivery of the Fit EV to a couple in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Longtime Honda customers Matt and Becky Walton received their Fit after being first to sign up for the car on Honda's registration website (no celebrity preference here,) ..."
iii) It's said that the leasee of Fit Ev is entitled to the $2500 California rebate.
|
WongKN
|
|
DrWhiner wrote:
So, the rumor of building Fit hybrid in Thai is now dead?
|
It was definitely in the plans. For some years, Honda has been preparing the assembly of hybrid models in Thailand because the HAT plant is huge and way underutilized. It's just that the floods last year made them decide to spread out more. It was a huge impact to Honda's way of thinking (that flood).
|
Fan Koni
|
|
Honda now plans for Jazz/fit hybrids to be built in Malaysia, I wonder if this means they will not make them in Thailand...
http://world.honda.com/news/2012/c120719Automobile-Production-Line-Malaysia/index.html
|
danielgr
|
|
|
Have you notice that it is precisely that piece of news which started this thread ??
|
|
|
| |
![[home]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/home.gif){kind=small}
![[rumors and news]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/rumors.gif){kind=small}
![[model release matrix]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/newmodelreleasematrix.gif){kind=small}
![[dealer network]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/dealernet.gif){kind=small}
![[desktop calendar]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/calendar.gif){kind=small}
![[exhaust notes]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/exhaust.gif){kind=small}
![[tov forums]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/forums.gif){kind=small}
![[links]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/links.gif){kind=small}
![[search]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/search.gif){kind=small}
![[sponsors]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/sponsors.gif){kind=small}
![[garage]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/garage.gif){kind=small}
![[login]](http://sohc.vtec.net/elem04/login.gif){kind=small}
