Honda completes new diesel engine plant, U.S. still doesn't get them

Honda still doesn't plan to offer American drivers the opportunity to buy its diesel engines, even as premium Acuras. Nonetheless, the automaker has just completed construction of a new factory in Ogawa, Japan to produce blocks and other castings for its four-cylinder diesel engines. The machining equipment is now being installed and and production of components is expected to begin in the fall. Not only are the engines efficient in operation, but Honda has also designed the new plant to reduce CO₂ emissions from the casting operations by 40 percent and 25 percent from the machining lines.

The diesel engines are installed into Japanese-built Accords for the European market (twin to our Acura TSX) as well as being shipped to England for installation into CR-Vs and Civics. It's a shame that we won't get a chance to try out this engine here anytime soon, because Americans would likely appreciate the 40+ mpg efficiency and high torque characteristics of these engines.

Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Honda Constructs New Lower CO2 Diesel Engine Production Facility

Honda has just celebrated the completion of a new engine plant to supply cylinder blocks and casting parts for its diesel engines in European models. The manufacturing facility, at Ogawa in Japan, will start production in autumn this year, following the installation and testing of machines and equipment.

Ogawa is the latest environmentally-responsible Honda manufacturing facility. It has been designed to decrease the amount of CO2 generated in the production of each engine by 40 per cent during the casting process, and by 25 per cent in the machining phase. The plant has only one production line, but this 'Advanced Flexible Line' can produce eight different types of engine, including the most sophisticated low-emission units.

Honda currently produces diesel engine cylinder blocks at its Suzuka factory in Japan, and will gradually transfer the casting and machining process of engine parts to the new Ogawa plant. The new Ogawa plant will then supply diesel engine parts to the Sayama factory, to go into the Accord for the European market. It will also supply diesel engine parts for Honda's factory in the UK at Swindon, which produces the Civic and CR-V models.

The completion ceremony at the new Ogawa engine plant took place on 10 April, 2009, and was attended by Shigeru Nakajima, Deputy GM of Industry and Employment at Saitama Prefecture Government, as well as Kihei Kasahara, the Mayor of Ogawa town and several Honda executives.




Editor's notes:



Outline of Ogawa Engine Plant
Location : Ogawa-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Site area : approximately 195,000 m2
Capacity : 200,000 units/year at maximum capacity (expected to produce about 20,000 units in the first few months)
Start-up: Autumn 2009
Investment: Approximately 45 billion yen
Employees: Approximately 500 at maximum production.



i-DTEC
The i-DTEC is a diesel engine from Honda that builds and improves on the performance, fuel economy and emission efficiency of the award-winning i-CTDi diesel engine (as seen in Civic, CR-V and FR-V). The i-DTEC engine is all-aluminium, transversely mounted, with 4-cylinders, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, a variable nozzle turbocharger and a second order balancer shaft. The i-DTEC currently powers the latest Accord model in Europe.

Honda's diesel engine block is cast from 'semi-solid' aluminium alloy. This semi-solid casting requires complex manufacturing, and enables the production of a strong, rigid cylinder block with closed-deck configuration to reduce noise and vibration and deliver smoother performance.
Honda has just celebrated the completion of a new engine plant to supply cylinder blocks and casting parts for its diesel engines in European models. The manufacturing facility, at Ogawa in Japan, will start production in autumn this year, following the installation and testing of machines and equipment.



Ogawa is the latest environmentally-responsible Honda manufacturing facility. It has been designed to decrease the amount of CO2 generated in the production of each engine by 40 per cent during the casting process, and by 25 per cent in the machining phase. The plant has only one production line, but this 'Advanced Flexible Line' can produce eight different types of engine, including the most sophisticated low-emission units.



Honda currently produces diesel engine cylinder blocks at its Suzuka factory in Japan, and will gradually transfer the casting and machining process of engine parts to the new Ogawa plant. The new Ogawa plant will then supply diesel engine parts to the Sayama factory, to go into the Accord for the European market. It will also supply diesel engine parts for Honda's factory in the UK at Swindon, which produces the Civic and CR-V models.



The completion ceremony at the new Ogawa engine plant took place on 10 April, 2009, and was attended by Shigeru Nakajima, Deputy GM of Industry and Employment at Saitama Prefecture Government, as well as Kihei Kasahara, the Mayor of Ogawa town and several Honda executives.