Honda engineers in secret engine lab trying to outgreen Toyota
One fact is fairly straightforward: Honda is working on a new diesel engine for the U.S. market in 2009 that will meet stringent U.S. and California emissions standards while using 30 percent less gasoline, according to this article from Bloomberg out today.
The delicious part of the news is both the details of the story (Takeo Fukui, who worked on the successful Civic back in 1973, is behind the new engine, the way Honda and Toyota feed of each other to the top of the green automotive world) and the way the story is told (with lots of background and sources like an auto industry consultant at Casesa Shapiro Group LLC in New York and Jon Spallino, whose family you may have seen in advertising materials and who leases the Honda fuel cell prototype). This article is worth your time if you're interested in why Honda and Toyota are doing so darn well selling cars around the world.
[Source: Bloomberg]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sean Hannan 10:52PM (6/20/2006)
Wow, a diesel engine that uses less gasoline! What a wonderful invention!
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Kevin 8:58AM (6/21/2006)
I currently am a chief engineer in the ecotechnology division of Honda. And true we are working on a new fuel efficient vehicle. From what I am allowed to release is that It not only sips gasoline at new breakthrough amount, several improvements allow this car to prevail to be one of the top performance, and efficient powerhouses out there.
--Kevin tux2252@yahoo.com
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Louis 12:07PM (6/21/2006)
Out green Toyota? That's easy, all Honda has to do is develop a hybrid diesel for passenger vehicles. This combination would certainly make Honda the formost green vehicle world champion. To take it a couple of steps further, why not make it a plug-in biodiesel hybrid?
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Sebastian 12:35PM (6/21/2006)
Hey Kevin, feel free to pass along any top secret information to AutoblogGreen :) And thanks for reading.
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Salman 1:53AM (6/22/2006)
Seeing as 'green' cars are starting to make their mark, I wonder what effects this will have on their future potential resale value. I can see how green cars will continue to improve as manufacturers get a handle on what customers are looking for along with improved efficiencies. Basically what I'm saying is that the pace at which green cars will improve will/should be much faster than a regular car and thus effect its future value. agree?
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Louis 7:46PM (6/22/2006)
I think you make an interesting point Salman My take on it is that buying a "green car" is like buying a computer. You'll get a better, cheaper product for your money as technology improves. And like buying a used computer, you can get trailing edge products for a lot less money. For example, I've seen used Honda Insights for sale for around $8000 on AutoTrader. This is great deal for consumers and older green vehicle are still more desirable than a gas-guzzler so it sounds reasonable that an older green vehicle would still sell for a higher premium than a comparable regular vehicle. Time will tell if reason will triumph in the marketplace.
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S Houston 6:40PM (7/21/2006)
Regading resale value: I just compared the current Kelly Blue Book value of a 97 Ford Crown Victotia LX and a 92 Honda Civic VX. The "current used retail"/MSRP for the 97 Vic is 25% and the 92 VX is 35%. Now the 95 VX is 42%. It is clear, "time has already told" us that the high mpg vehicles will retain resale value. The new technologies, like diesel and higher mpg engines, will just widen the gap!
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