TOKYO, Japan, October 30, 2013 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced plans to discontinue the operations of Honda Soltec Co., Ltd., Honda's wholly-owned photovoltaic subsidiary, in spring 2014 and withdraw from the production and sales of photovoltaic products.

The CIGS thin-film module developed independently by Honda features a thin film made from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), and it requires significantly less energy during the manufacturing process. Further, its power generation is less likely to be affected by shade, heat, and other weather conditions due to its characteristics that react to a wide spectrum range, providing an excellent product competitive advantage at the time Honda Soltec was established.

Honda Soltec strived to maintain and improve the competitiveness of its products in the midst of considerable changes in the competitive environment of the photovoltaic industry, including a decline in the price of silicon-based solar panels due to the fall in silicon prices. Despite such efforts, Honda Soltec does not have good prospects to attain its original business plan, therefore Honda came to the conclusion that it is difficult to continue in the photovoltaic business any longer.

Honda Soltec is planning to discontinue its operations and dissolve the company in spring 2014. In the Japan market, Honda Soltec will take new orders until mid-February 2014, and after sales service for Honda photovoltaic systems sold by that date will be continued through Honda Kaihatsu Co., Ltd., an affiliated company of Honda.

Honda will continue its electricity generation and sales business, which is being conducted toward the widespread use of renewable energy, as well as the research and development of the Honda Smart Home System through which Honda is striving to foster recycling-oriented energy management based on home energy generation and consumption.