Honda facts for kids
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Headquarters in Minato, Tokyo
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Native name
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本田技研工業株式会社
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Romanized name
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Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha |
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| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | Hamamatsu, Japan (October 1946, incorporated 24 September 1948) |
| Founder | Soichiro Honda |
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Japan
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Revenue |  ¥14.95 trillion (2022) |
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Operating income
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¥871.2 billion (2022) |
| ¥707.0 billion (2022) |
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| Total assets | ¥23.97 trillion (2022) |
| Total equity | ¥10.77 trillion (2022) |
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Number of employees
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List
Transportation
Engines
Motorsport
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Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is a big Japanese company that makes cars, motorcycles, and other cool equipment. Its main office is in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's biggest motorcycle maker since 1959. By the end of 2019, they had made 400 million motorcycles! They also make more than 14 million engines every year, which is more than any other company. In 2015, Honda was the eighth largest car maker in the world.
Honda was the first Japanese car company to create a special luxury brand called Acura in 1986. Besides cars and motorcycles, Honda also builds garden tools, boat engines, power generators, and even personal watercraft. Since 1986, Honda has worked on artificial intelligence and robotics. They released their famous ASIMO robot in 2000. Honda has also entered the aerospace world with the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, which started production in 2012.
In 2013, Honda spent about US$6.8 billion on new ideas and research. That same year, Honda became the first Japanese car company to export more cars from the United States than it imported. This means they built more cars in the US and sent them to other countries.
Contents
Honda's Story: How it Started
Honda's founder, Soichiro Honda (1906–1991), loved cars his whole life. He worked as a mechanic and even raced cars. In 1937, he started a company called Tōkai Seiki to make piston rings. At first, his piston rings were not good enough for Toyota. Soichiro Honda went to engineering school and visited other factories to learn how to make better products. By 1941, he was making good piston rings for Toyota.
During World War II, his factory was damaged. After the war, Soichiro Honda sold what was left of his company to Toyota. With that money, he started the Honda Technical Research Institute in 1946.
He and 12 other people worked in a small shack. They made and sold simple motorized bicycles using old war engines. When those engines ran out, Honda started making their own engines. This was the Honda A-Type, also known as the "Bata Bata" because of the sound it made.
In 1949, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. was officially started. Around this time, Honda hired engineer Kihachiro Kawashima and business expert Takeo Fujisawa. Their teamwork helped Honda grow a lot. Soichiro Honda and Fujisawa worked closely together until they both retired in 1973.
The first full motorcycle made by Honda, including both the frame and engine, was the 1949 Honda D-Type. It was called the "Dream." By 1964, Honda Motor Company had quickly become the world's largest maker of motorcycles.
Honda's first car was the Honda T360 mini pick-up truck, sold in August 1963. It had a small 356 cc engine. The second car was the Honda S500 sports car, which came out in October 1963. Its chain-driven rear wheels showed Honda's motorcycle roots.
Over the next few years, Honda grew its products and started selling in many countries. In 1986, Honda launched the Acura brand in America to sell luxury cars. In 1991, they introduced the Honda NSX supercar. This car was special because it was made almost entirely of aluminum and had a mid-engine design.
In the 1990s, Honda faced challenges. The company decided to focus on making popular vehicles like the Odyssey and the CR-V. They also stopped their successful participation in Formula One racing for a while to save money and focus on more eco-friendly cars.
The Honda Aircraft Company was started in 2006 to make and sell the HondaJet aircraft. The first HondaJets were delivered to customers in December 2015.
In 2020, Honda announced it would pull employees from Wuhan, China, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also stopped car production in their US factories in March 2020, but started again in May 2020.
Honda and General Motors announced a partnership in 2020. They plan to share vehicles and work together on research and development. In 2021, Honda said it wanted to be the first carmaker to sell a car with level 3 self-driving technology.
In 2022, Honda and Sony announced they would work together to make electric vehicles. Sony will help with technology, and Honda will build the cars. The first cars are planned for 2025. In 2023, Honda also made a deal with General Motors to create cars using a new hydrogen fuel system.
Honda has had some recalls for safety issues. In 2023, they recalled 500,000 vehicles in the US and Canada for seat belt problems. Later that year, they recalled about 4.5 million vehicles globally for fuel pump issues.
Honda Around the World
Honda's main office is in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Their shares are traded on stock exchanges in Tokyo and New York, as well as in other cities around the world.
Honda has factories all over the globe. You can find them in places like China, the United States, Canada, England, Japan, Brazil, India, and many more. This helps Honda build cars closer to where they are sold. For example, in July 2010, 89% of Honda and Acura cars sold in the United States were built in North American factories.
American Honda Motor Company is based in California. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is Honda's racing division. Honda also has partnerships with other companies around the world, like in India and China.
Honda also runs a program called Honda Xcelerator. This program helps Honda work with new companies and inventors in Silicon Valley to create new technologies. Honda also owns two famous race tracks in Japan: the Suzuka Circuit and Twin Ring Motegi.
Honda Products: What They Make
Cars
Honda started making cars in 1963 with the Honda T360 truck. Then came the Honda S500 sports car. In 1969, Honda introduced its first four-door car, the Honda 1300.
The Honda Civic became very popular around the world. It first appeared in 1972. Honda cars like the Civic and Honda Accord are known for using Front-wheel drive. Honda also likes to add new technologies to its cars, like anti-lock brakes and multi-port fuel injection.
The Civic is a compact car that has changed a lot over the years. It has become bigger and more luxurious. Today, it fits between the smaller Fit and the larger Accord.
Honda's first hybrid electric vehicle was the 1999 Honda Insight. Hybrid cars use both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. The Civic and Accord also got hybrid versions later. In 2008, Honda launched the Clarity, a fuel cell car that runs on hydrogen.
Honda's Ridgeline pickup truck won "Truck of the Year" from Motor Trend magazine in 2006. The redesigned Civic also won "Car of the Year" that same year.
Many Honda cars are known for being very fuel-efficient. Five of the top ten most fuel-efficient cars from 1984 to 2010 were Hondas. The Honda Civic GX was also named the "greenest car in America" for seven years in a row.
Motorcycles
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Honda is the biggest motorcycle maker in Japan. They have been since 1955. In 1982, Honda made almost three million motorcycles in one year!
In the 1960s, Honda started selling motorcycles in the United States. They used a famous advertising slogan: "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." This campaign helped change how people thought about motorcyclists and made Honda motorcycles popular with everyone. By the end of 1963, Honda had sold 90,000 motorcycles in the US.
The story of how Honda became so successful in the US motorcycle market is often studied in business schools. Some say it was because they made a lot of motorcycles to save money. Others say it was because they were flexible and worked hard. For example, Honda first planned to sell large motorcycles in the US. But when they saw that their smaller scooters, like the Honda Super Cub, were popular, they started selling those instead.
ATVs
Honda also makes ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles). They build utility ATVs like the Recon and Rubicon, and sports ATVs like the TRX 250X.
Power Equipment
Honda started making power equipment in 1953. This includes things like:
- Engines
- Tillers (for gardening)
- Marine Outboard Motors (for boats)
- Water Pumps
- Lawn mowers
- Snowthrowers
- Generators
In September 2023, Honda stopped making lawn mowers and some other power equipment.
Engines
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Honda is famous for its engines. For example, Honda engines powered all 33 cars in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 race.
Even though Honda is known for engines, they have never built a V8 engine for regular cars. They thought about it in the 2000s for bigger luxury cars and trucks. But they decided not to, because of environmental concerns and the economy.
Robots
ASIMO is a famous robot from Honda's research program. It's part of a long line of robots Honda has been developing since 1986. ASIMO weighs 54 kilograms and is 130 centimeters tall. It looks like a small astronaut. ASIMO can walk on two feet like a human, and it's the only humanoid robot that can go up and down stairs by itself.
In 2010, Honda even developed a way for a user's brainwaves to control ASIMO. This system uses a special helmet that reads brain signals. The user just thinks of a movement, and ASIMO tries to do it!
Aircraft
Honda has also created new technology for its Honda HA-420 HondaJet. This jet is made by Honda's company, Honda Aircraft Company. It's designed to fly with less drag and use less fuel, which helps save money on flights.
Mountain Bikes
Honda has built a special downhill racing bicycle called the Honda RN-01. You can't buy this bike in stores. It has a special gearbox instead of the usual bike gears. Honda has hired famous riders like Greg Minnaar to race this bike.
Motorsports: Racing for Victory
Honda has been very active in motorsports, like Formula One and MotoGP, since the company started. Since 2022, Honda's racing activities are managed by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC).
Car Racing
Honda first entered Formula One racing in 1964, just one year after making road cars. They made both the engine and the car's body. Honda won its first Formula One race in 1965. They left the sport in 1968 but came back in 1983 as an engine maker. During this time, Honda engines helped teams like Williams and McLaren win many championships.
Honda returned to Formula One again from 2000 to 2008. They came back as an engine supplier in 2015 and started winning races again by 2019. In 2021, Max Verstappen won the World Drivers' Championship with a Honda engine for Red Bull Racing. Honda officially left Formula One after 2021 to focus on cleaner technologies, but they still supply engines to Red Bull until 2025. Honda has announced they will officially rejoin in 2026 to provide engines to Aston Martin.
Honda also competes in other car races, like the IndyCar Series in America. They have won many championships and the Indianapolis 500 race several times. In Japan, Honda-powered cars have won the Super Formula Championship many times.
In sports car racing, Honda cars have won races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They have also won many titles in the Super GT Series in Japan.
Motorcycle Racing
Soichiro Honda loved racing himself. In 1959, Honda entered five motorcycles in the Isle of Man TT race, which is a very famous motorcycle race. By 1961, Honda started winning Grand Prix races. Honda's race bikes were known for their cool designs and powerful engines.
In 1979, Honda returned to Grand Prix motorcycle racing with a new type of engine. In 1983, Honda won its first 500 cc Grand Prix World Championship with Freddie Spencer. Since then, Honda has become a very strong team in motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Famous riders like Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi have won many titles with Honda. Honda also has the most wins at the Isle of Man TT race.
Honda has won many world championships in motocross, enduro, and motorcycle trials racing.
Eco-Friendly Vehicles
Natural Gas Cars
The Honda Civic GX was a special car that ran only on compressed natural gas. It looked like a regular Civic but used a different fuel. In 2001, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the Civic GX had the cleanest-burning engine in the world.
Honda stopped making natural gas cars in 2015. They decided to focus on electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered cars instead.
Flexible-Fuel Cars
In Brazil, Honda launched "flexible-fuel" versions of the Honda Civic and Honda Fit in 2006. These cars can run on a mix of ethanol and gasoline. By 2009, all Honda cars made for the Brazilian market were flexible-fuel.
In 2009, Honda also launched the world's first flexible-fuel motorcycle in Brazil, the CG 150 Titan Mix.
Hybrid Electric Cars
In 1999, Honda launched the Honda Insight, one of the first hybrid electric cars sold in the US. It was very fuel-efficient. Honda also made hybrid versions of the Civic Hybrid and Accord Hybrid.
By September 2012, Honda had sold over 1 million hybrid cars around the world. As of June 2014, they had sold more than 1.35 million hybrids.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars
In 2008, Honda started making the Honda FCX Clarity. This car is a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. It uses hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity for an electric motor. The only things that come out of the car are heat and water, so it's very clean!
Honda stopped making the FCX Clarity in 2015. They see hydrogen fuel cell cars as the future replacement for gasoline cars.
Plug-in Electric Vehicles
The Honda EV Plus was an all-electric car introduced in 1997. It was only available for leasing in California. The Honda Fit EV was another all-electric car launched in 2012, with a range of about 82 miles.
The Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid was introduced in 2013. It could drive about 13 miles on electricity alone before the gasoline engine kicked in.
More recently, the Honda e was launched in 2020. It's a small electric car with a retro style. In 2023, Honda launched the Honda e:Ny1, their first electric SUV.
In 2022, Honda and General Motors announced they would work together to make affordable electric vehicles. However, in October 2023, they decided to cancel this plan. Future Honda electric vehicles will be designed and built only by Honda.
Batteries
In 2022, Honda and LG Energy Solution announced they would build a new factory in the US. This factory will make lithium-ion batteries for Honda and Acura electric vehicles.
Marketing: How Honda Connects with People
Japanese Marketing
In Japan, Honda used to have different types of dealerships. Starting in 1978, they created Honda Verno stores for sportier cars. Later, they added Honda Clio in 1984 for traditional Honda cars like the Accord. In 1985, they opened Honda Primo stores for smaller cars, motorcycles, and power equipment.
Each type of store had a different style for where the license plate was placed on the car. Over time, these separate chains were combined into Honda Cars dealerships in 2006. Even today, some dealerships still use the old names.
Honda also sells special accessories through Honda Access stores. They also have Gathers brand audio and navigation systems. For used cars, there are special Honda Auto Terrace dealerships.
International Marketing
Honda has made many famous advertisements. In 2003, they released the "Cog" ad in the UK. It showed a Rube Goldberg Machine made of car parts, where one part set off a chain reaction. It took 100 tries to film it!
In 2005, Honda released "The Impossible Dream" ad. It showed a man riding different Honda vehicles, from a minibike to a hot air balloon, while singing "The Impossible Dream". This ad showed Honda's goal to build amazing vehicles.
In the US, Honda used an animated character called Mr. Opportunity in their ads. He would talk about deals and end by saying, "I'm Mr. Opportunity, and I'm knockin'".
Honda also sponsors many sports events. They are a partner of the National Hockey League and the Anaheim Ducks team. They also sponsor The Honda Classic golf tournament and Major League Soccer. The "Honda Sports Award" is given to the best female college athletes in the US.
Images for kids
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Headquarters in Minato, Tokyo
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Honda's first four-wheel vehicle was the Honda T360 in 1963.
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Eleventh-generation Honda Accord
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Eleventh-generation Honda Civic
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Sixth-generation Honda CR-V
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Honda Gold Wing bike
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2004 Honda Super Cub
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A Honda Power EU70is power generator
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Honda Outboard motors
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ASIMO at Expo 2005
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Max Verstappen won the 2021 Formula One World Championship with a Honda engine.
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Honda RC212V raced by Dani Pedrosa
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2009 Honda Civic GX hooked up to Phill refueling system
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Top: Brazilian flexible-fuel Honda Civic
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Honda CR-Z, the first sports coupe hybrid to come with a six-speed manual transmission
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2010 Honda Insight hybrid electric vehicle (second generation)
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Honda Fit EV concept unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show
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Honda Clio (Saitama, Japan)
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Honda Primo (Osaka)
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A Honda dealership in Ontario, Canada
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A Honda dealership in Dreghorn, Scotland
See also
- Comparison of Honda water-pumps
- Honda advanced technology
- Honda Airport
- Honda Battle of the Bands
- Honda G-Con
- Honda F.C., football (soccer) club
- Honda Heat, rugby union club
- Honda in motorsport
- Honda Performance Development
- Honda Type R
- List of Honda assembly plants
- List of Honda transmissions
- List of motor scooter manufacturers and brands
