Honda is celebrating a quarter-century of hybrid-electric sales in America, a legacy that began with the original Honda Insight, the first mass production hybrid-electric vehicle ever sold in the United States, and continues today with hybrid-electric vehicles playing a key role in the company's electrification strategy. Over 25% of Honda brand sales today are hybrid-electric vehicles, with the Civic, Accord and CR-V each powered by Honda's award-winning two-motor hybrid-electric system.

Launched in December 1999, the all-new Honda Insight was designed from the ground up as a hybrid with a combination of revolutionary technologies and it remains the most fuel-efficient non-BEV automobile ever sold in America with an EPA highway mileage rating of 70 mpg.

"Twenty-five years after making history with America's first hybrid-electric vehicle, hybrids now account for more than 25% of Honda auto sales," said Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales. "As we advance step-by-step toward our goal of carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities, our popular hybrid models are a critical part of our longer-term electrification strategy that supports our ultimate goal of zero environmental impact by 2050."

First-Generation Honda Insight
Built alongside the NSX and S2000 sports cars at the company's Takanezawa Plant in Japan, the award-winning first-generation Honda Insight remains the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered mass production automobile ever sold in America with an EPA mileage ratings of 61 mpg city and 70 mpg highway. Equipped standard with an engaging 5-speed manual transmission, the original Insight was sold from 1999-2006.

In order to achieve their goal of making Insight the world's most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered automobile, Honda engineers developed a combination of forward-thinking technologies, including an all-new Integrated Motor Assist (IMA™) hybrid powertrain, the world's smallest, lightest and most efficient 1.0-liter gasoline automobile engine, a sophisticated aerodynamic design and a lightweight aluminum body and structure.

Insight's advanced aerodynamics and the use of aluminum for the two-seater's skin and the frame were critical to achieving its record fuel economy rating. Honda pioneered the use of aluminum in automobiles with the first-generation NSX supercar being the world's first mass-produced all-aluminum production car.

This considerable experience, and many of the same technologies, were applied to the design of Insight to create a new type of lightweight aluminum structure with high levels of body rigidity and advanced safety performance at a lower cost. Utilizing stamped aluminum sheets, an extruded aluminum frame and aluminum die-castings the body weight of Insight was nearly 50% less than the steel body of a Civic Hatchback, yet with 38% more torsional rigidity.

With a special focus on aerodynamic design, the original Insight also boasted one of the lowest coefficients of drag (0.25) of any mass-produced automobile sold worldwide.

Hybrid-Electric Models Made in America*
Current Honda hybrid-electric models are made in the U.S. and Canada. The Honda CR-V hybrid is produced in three plants, including the East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, the Indiana Auto Plant and the Alliston Auto Plant in Canada. The Accord hybrid is produced at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio. The Civic Hatchback hybrid is produced at the Indiana Auto Plant, while the Civic Sedan hybrid is produced at the Alliston Auto Plant.

Associates at Honda Power Unit Operations in Ohio build both the two-motor hybrid-electric power unit (Ohio Transmission Plant) and 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine (Anna Engine Plant) for the Civic, Accord hybrid and CR-V hybrid models.

* using domestic and globally-sourced parts

Honda Electrification Strategy
Toward the company's global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050, the Honda vision is to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040.

Hybrid-electric vehicles are a key step in this Honda electrification strategy, which includes equipping its core models with hybrid-electric powertrains. In 2023 the Honda CR-V hybrid was America's best-selling hybrid vehicle, and the Accord hybrid was the most popular hybrid car in the country. Hybrid-electric trims powered by the award-winning fourth-generation of the Honda two-motor hybrid-electric powertrain now represent more than 50% of Accord and CR-V sales, and the new 2025 Civic hybrid models are expected to ultimately represent about 40% of Civic sales. Cumulative sales of Honda electrified vehicles top the one million mark.

Honda began sales this year of the Honda Prologue, the brand's first all-electric SUV. Honda will begin EV production of its original EVs based on the new Honda-developed EV platform at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio in late 2025. The Honda EV Hub will create the flexibility to produce* petrol, hybrid-electric and battery electric vehicles on the same manufacturing line.

At CES 2024 in January, Honda unveiled two concept models of the Honda 0 Series, the Saloon and the Space-Hub. A production model of the Saloon is planned for fall 2026, to be built at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio, and positioned as the flagship model of the Honda 0 Series. Moreover, Honda has announced plans to introduce a total of seven Honda 0 Series models globally by 2030, including small-, medium- and large-size models.

In October, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. held its "Honda 0 Tech Meeting 2024" in Tokyo, Japan and introduced some of the next-generation technologies to be applied to the Honda 0 Series, a completely new EV series Honda is planning to launch in the global market starting in 2026. Honda is planning to unveil a new Honda 0 Series model at CES 2025, scheduled to be held in January 2025. This new model will be the embodiment in product form of the technologies and electrification concept introduced during the Honda 0 Tech Meeting.

TrendForce 2024 Global Automotive LED Market- Lighting and Display Product Trend
Release Date:
1. PDF (180 Pages)- 30 June 2024
2. EXCEL- 30 June 2024 and 31 December 2024
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