ENVIRONMENT 51 52
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?Ever tried a little blue sky thinking
after an outboard engine, with Honda you’ll only
ever get the cleaner four-stroke version.
We love this planet as much as you do. And we’re
well aware that a global corporation that builds cars
has to take its responsibilities very seriously.
And that’s why we only ever build cars with
the future in mind. A lot of damage has been done
since the invention of the internal combustion
engine, but thanks to cutting-edge technology
we’re aiming to cut it out all together.
At Honda, if we have an idea, we want to make it
happen. Take the groundbreaking FCX fuel-cell
electric vehicle, which produces only water as
a by-product. The first car of its kind to obtain
approval for commercialisation in the US, it’s fuelled
by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and
oxygen - we’ve even built a solar-powered hydrogen
fuelling station at our research institute in Los Angeles.
It’s the greenest vehicle on the planet, and it’s already
driving around the streets of Tokyo and LA.
Our manufacturing plant in Swindon is reducing the
amount of landfill waste it produces. At the going
rate, we’re on track to cut that figure to zero by
2010. The development of our 3R concept -
reduce, reuse, recycle - allows us not only to
apply our principles throughout the plant, but
also provides an educational tool for local schools
and councils who visit us on a regular basis.
Not only are we cutting environmentally
damaging emissions, we’re actively
putting something back in.
At participating Honda Dealerships, customers
could now receive a Tree-Tube as a thank-you
present. Each tube is equivalent to three months’
worth of CarbonNeutral® driving, promoting projects
that absorb, neutralise and offset the carbon
dioxide emissions produced by car driving. So, not
only are we planting forests in the UK, we’re also
swapping kerosene burners for solar panels
in Sri Lanka and introducing energy efficiency
equipment in poorer homes across the USA.
And there are more projects on the way.
We’ve made technological developments that
radically reduce emissions too. Like the Insight.
It’s the most fuel-efficient sports coupé in existence
thanks to its Integrated Motor Assist technology.
The same technology you’ll find in
the 4 door Civic Executive, winner
of Best Fuel Economy and Best
1-1.4 litre Engine at the 2003 International Engine
of the Year Awards and the BP Green Fleet award
for vehicle innovation. Our new generation i-series
engines, such as our i-VTEC engine, are on course
to produce 75% less HC (hydrogen and carbon
atoms) and NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions
by 2005, as well as on course to meet the 2010
fuel economy criteria in all weight categories.
We’re also rewriting the rulebooks by changing the
way people think about transport. We know that
cars have become so popular that the planet is
becoming gridlocked. That’s why we’ve introduced
traffic-reduction schemes in Japan, such as the
Intelligent Community Vehicle System, which
encourages shared use of vehicles in urban areas.
We want to create more public space, reduce traffic,
lower pollution and provide an improved living
environment for everyone.
Ahead of new regulations due to come into force
in 2006, we’ve reduced our motorcycles’ emissions
and fuel consumption by 30%. And the production
of road-going two-stroke engines is now a thing
of the past. Even when it comes to boats, if you’re
At Honda we want to fill the world with great ideas.
Not pollution.
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