Photo : D.R.
Ecological motors, clean technologies, new energies and more – all ways in which car manufacturers are seeking to better protect the environment for the roads of the future. “But today, who is actually mass producing green cars?” asks Christophe Decultot, General Manager of the Automobiles division (France) of Honda Motor Europe (South). The multinational company is one of two Japanese car brands marketing hybrid vehicles in Europe. Ten years after marketing its first model of this type, Honda struck again last March with the arrival of the Insight. Just a few months after its launch, the ecological model is already provoking great enthusiasm from companies and individual buyers. “It represented 9% of Honda’s total sales in 2009, although this figure represents only a very short period of time. Over the next four months, the vehicle will represent 15% of our sales,” according to the Director.
The Asian enterprise is no novice in this area. Honda has been interested in manufacturing clean cars since 1972. “This certainly isn’t a new concern. Our current maturity springs from the intellectual, ecological and philosophical approach that we have taken over the years,” he continues. This frame of mind led the Japanese corporation to come out with its first hybrid vehicle in 1999. “In focusing on the environment, Honda is seeking to anticipate the car of tomorrow,” emphasises Christophe Decultot. This is one of the reasons behind its success in sales, which shot up by 13.9% in 2009, compared to 2008.
A combination of assets
“Beyond the ecological progress that it represents, the new Honda Insight comes with a variety of advantages that please professional clients,” according to Agathe Fourdrin, Special Sales Manager. Fiscally speaking, it provides a tax bonus of 700 euros, exoneration from the ‘carte grise’ (French car registration certificate) in most departments, and is a tax-free company car for eight trimesters. At 18,300 euros, the car can also be paid off in one year. Additionally, it comes with a three-year guarantee for the car, and an eight-year guarantee for its battery – a central element of hybrid technology. “This long-term commitment sends a strong message to our clients. We are taking no risks with this offer, as tests have show that the battery can live 15 years with problem-free charge cycles – discharged every 320,000 km,” says Christophe Lefêvre, Technical and Quality Manager. Insurance reductions for green cars also apply to the Honda Insight, as do paid parking exemptions in certain cities.
According to Bénédicte Fournier, Hybrid Product Manager, “these guarantees and advantages reinforce the image of the brand, which is already renowned for its reliability under duress. For years now, we have been classed at the head of the pack amongst vehicles that offer the best customer satisfaction. This is no accident.” This reliability is all the more solicited by the fleet of customer enterprises for whom daily efficiency is of utmost importance.
With consumption of less than four litres per 100 kilometres, the model’s features are consistent with policies of cost reduction implemented by many companies. “The vehicle’s use is clearly an excellent way to optimise both image and CO2 emissions, which is now a common objective for all companies, whether private or public,” states Agathe Fourdrin.
A green culture
“The company’s current watchword is definitely ecology,” states Chrisophe Lefêvre. Honda’s efforts on this level concern its current and future vehicles, as well as the steps surrounding the finished product. “To be as consistent as possible, we are striving to reduce CO2 emissions throughout our functioning, during the industrial work and end-of-life car treatment. From factory production to recycling, we wish to limit emissions of all harmful particles,” he adds. In 1990, vehicles were already 90% recyclable. Today, they are 98% recyclable.
Christophe Lefêvre adds that his company’s efforts go beyond widely-shared ecological concerns: “We are focusing on CO2 emissions, as well as other substances that cars give off, harmful for humans and the environment, such as CO, HC gasses, NOx gasses (editor’s note: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen gasses), which are much less frequently discussed. Our technology attacks the problem of car pollutants in their entirety.”
Beyond hybrids, hydrogen?
In fuel cell engines, Honda sees an effective long-term solution. This technology involves creating electricity from hydrogen. “In doing so, this entirely eliminates emissions of CO2 and other polluting substances,” stays Christophe Lefêvre. Today, Honda’s FCX Clarity is the first fuel cell hydrogen vehicle produced on a dedicated assembly line. The true test has started, now that it has hit the roads of the United States and Japan. In the meantime, in April 2010, Honda will launch its CR-Z model, the first hybrid sports coupe, to be followed by the Jazz hybrid in 2011. The years to come will also see new models available in hybrid versions. The manufacturer is hoping to increasingly appeal to enterprises, as well. Sales to professionals currently represent 15% of hybrid sales, a figure that Honda hopes will increase to 20%.
Through its subsidiary, Honda Finance, the manufacturer offers a wide variety of financial services for businesses (credit, leasing, long-term rentals and more). “We have agreements with the biggest rental companies, which market our cars,” says Agathe Fourdrin. “In the years to come, we are specifically looking to place our vehicles in small and medium enterprise and public organisation fleets (ministries, local governments, chambers of commerce, administrations, etc.), to respond to their need for green fleets, in order to be consistent with governmental initiatives.”
Priority on fuel-efficient driving
Learning how to drive all over again – this is what the Honda Insight allows, thanks to its visual system designed to optimise driving. The instrument panel changes colour according to the rate of acceleration and braking. A blue speedometer means that the driver is accelerating sharply. Blue-green indicates that the motor is working at half its capacity, while green indicates the most ecological driving possible. “You learn to accelerate and brake gradually. Drivers adopt better reflexes for truly ecological, economic driving,” says Bénédicte Fournier, Hybrid Product Manager. What’s more, by pressing a button located on the instrument panel, the car sets in motion a system that smoothes out driving irregularities and imperfections, in order to better limit polluting emissions and to conserve fuel. These assets are made possible thanks to the particular nature of hybrid technology, through which electric and thermal motors are placed side-by-side, alongside an automatic continuously variable transmission. Depending on the driver’s acceleration rate, the electric motor helps the functioning of the thermal motor. In certain cases, while the latter is running, the electric motor propels the engine. This mode of functioning is entirely emissions-free.
English 
