Honda Power Products Reach 40 Million Production Level

March 28, 2000, Japan

Corporate

Tokyo, March 28, 2000 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that worldwide cumulative production of its power products has reached 40 million units.

Honda, which entered the power product business in 1953 with its H-type general-purpose engine for agricultural use, gradually expanded its product line to include tillers, generators, pumps, lawn mowers and outboard engines which are used in agriculture, construction and recreational activities.

Cumulative production reached 1 million units in 1969, 10 million in 1985, 20 million in 1992 and 30 million in 1997.

A rapid and steady increase in production over the last decade has pushed the total to the 40 million level today, thus making Honda's power product operations one of the company's three core businesses, together with automobiles and motorcycles.

Of those 40 million units, 4 million have been sold in Japan, whilst the remaining 36 million have been sold overseas. The breakdown of the 40 million units by product category is 21.6 million for general-purpose engines and 18.4 million for other completed power products such as generators, lawnmowers and tillers.

Overall, Honda produces 205 models in 19 power product categories, featuring a compact four-stroke engine, which is noted for its durability and fuel efficiency.

Honda's overseas sales of power products began with the export of tillers in 1963. The company began lawnmower production in the U.S. in 1984, opened a lawnmower and tiller production facility in France in 1986, and began producing generators in China in 1995. Including two power product plants in Japan located in Hamamatsu and Kumamoto, Honda has 12 production facilities in 11 countries, and sells its power products in 156 countries around the world.

Honda's Worldwide Production Figures for Power Products (Units)

Year Production
per year
Comulative Production Major Development
1953 3,340 3,340 Launch of the first Honda power product ,the H-Type general-purpose engine
1954 19,830 23,170  
1955 9,326 32,496  
1956 9,901 42,397  
1957 7,352 49,749  
1958 15,057 64,806  
1959 31,640 96,446 Launch of Honda's first tiller, F150
1960 25,497 121,943  
1961 19,545 141,488  
1962 21,380 162,868  
1963 83,668 246,536 Export from Japan begins (first destination: France)
1964 70,854 317,390  
1965 70,357 387,747 Launch of Honda's first portable generator, E300
1966 168,505 556,252 Launch of Honda's first water pump,W20/30
1967 165,590 721,842  
1968 162,090 883,932  
1969 136,950 1,020,882 Cumulative production reaches 1,000,000 units
1970 237,225 1,258,107  
1971 131,263 1,389,370  
1972 181,476 1,570,846  
1973 214,509 1,785,355 Launch of Honda's first rice planting machine
1974 314,632 2,099,987 Cumulative production reaches 2,000,000 units
1975 218,542 2,318,529  
1976 332,805 2,651,334 Kumamoto Factory established (Japan)
1977 414,283 3,065,617 Cumulative production reaches 3,000,000 units
1978 576,719 3,642,336 Launch of Honda's first lawn mower ; Cumulative production of generators:1,000,000 units
1979 582,502 4,224,838 Asaka Higashi R&D Center established exclusively for power products (Japan)
1980 682,653 4,907,491 Introduction of the minitiller "Komame" (F200)
1981 932,175 5,839,666 Cumulative production reaches 5,000,000 units
1982 1,007,646 6,847,312  
1983 1,198,909 8,046,221 Power Prpduct Plant inside Hamamatsu Factory begins production (Japan)
1984 1,352,927 9,399,148 Start-up of lawn mower production in the U.S.A.; Launch of Honda's first riding mower
1985 1,413,957 10,813,105 Cumulative production reaches 10,000,000 units
1986 1,308,684 12,121,789 Start-up of power product production in France
1987 1,411,134 13,532,923 Start-up of general-purpose engine and water pump production in Thailand; Launch of extra-small portable power generator, EX300
1988 1,417,632 14,950,555 Start-up of lawn mower production in Australia
Start-up of portable power generator,stationary engine,etc.production in Inda; Launch of small portable diesel engines
1989 1,389,920 16,340,475 Cumulative production reaches 15,000,000 units
1990 1,437,196 17,777,671 Import into Japan of Honda's American-made walk-behind lawn mower begins
1991 1,299,720 19,077,391  
1992 1,435,551 20,512,942 Cumulative production reaches 20,000,000 units
1993 1,754,995 22,267,937 Hamamatsu Power Product Plant achieves ISO9001 certification
1994 2,059,869 24,327,806 BF90 outbord engine recieves IMTEC Innovation award
1995 2,363,065 26,690,871 Cumulative production reaches 25,000,000 units; Launch of in-wheel type motor; Start-up of lawn mower engine production in Italy; Start-up of portable generator production in China
1996 2,691,156 29,382,027 Establishment of power product sales company in Indonesia
1997 3,053,558 32,435,585 Launch of multi-directional 4-storke engine, GX22/31 for handheld equipment; Hamamatsu Power Product Plant achieves ISO14001 certification ; Cumulative production reaches 30,000,000 units; Start-up of power products in production in Indenesia
1998 3,390,019 35,825,604 Test facility for outbord marine engines opens in Shizuoka Prefecture (Japan); Launch of next-generation power generators, GENE21 Series
1999 3,210,861 39,036,465 Launch of 4-wheeled electric wheel chair, Monpal ML100
2000
(-May)
963,535 40,000,000 Cumulative production reaches 40,000,000 units