Tokyo, August 30, 2001 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced today that it has developed a new small cogeneration unit designed for household use. A practical test program will begin in October in collaboration with city gas companies including Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. The goal of the test program is to confirm the feasibility of marketing the new unit commercially within the 2003 fiscal year.

The new cogenerator is powered by "GF160V", a natural gas-powered engine developed exclusively for this purpose. Using Honda's unique sine-wave inverter technology, the dual-purpose unit realizes an electrical power generation of 1kW and heat output of 3kW, making this a highly efficient source for high-quality and consistent power, hot water and heat supply. Combining electrical and heat generation, the overall heat efficiency reaches 85%. Coupled with the use of natural gas as a fuel, the cogeneration unit is likely to reduce CO₂ emissions up to approximately 20%^*.

The new cogeneration unit is one of many examples illustrating Honda's commitment to environmental issues - including the development of cleaner gasoline engines, the promotion of alternative energies through extensive research and development of natural-gas and fuel-cell vehicles, as well as the total elimination of industrial waste for landfill from the company's production facilities. This same philosophy has led to the development of the new household cogeneration power product where the company has aggressively used clean energy technologies and concepts.