Honda Motor Company (HMC) is a public multinational auto manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company also manufactures motorcycles, power equipment, jet aircraft, solar cells, and robotics. It has assembly plants in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Honda has established major manufacturing plants in the United States, and in 2013, it became the first Japanese carmaker to be a net exporter from the United States.
Under the Hood of Today’s Honda
Among its notable achievements, in 1986, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture a distinct luxury brand, the Acura. Around that same time, the company began to get heavily involved in robotics research and development, and it eventually became the first company to produce a humanoid robot capable of going up and down a flight of stairs.
Honda introduced the first hybrid electric car in the United States, the Insight, in 1999. It unveiled the Clarity plug-in hybrid in 2017. Honda Civic and Accord are two of the longest-running nameplates of Japanese automakers.
Honda is the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and has been since 1959. The company is the largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines. It also manufacturers other power equipment like lawnmowers, snowblowers, and outboard engines.
Honda Suppliers and Partners
Honda has established three joint ventures in China and has a strong presence in Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina as well.
In terms of revenues, Honda generated approximately $136 billion for the fiscal year 2020, approaching double its profits in 2012 in Japanese yen. However, the company’s revenues decreased from 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It remains one of the largest carmakers in the world.
Given its size, Honda is an important buyer of products for its supply chain. For 2020, Honda honored 39 suppliers with awards in three categories—value, sustainability, and quality & delivery. It also honored 22 parts suppliers.
In 2017, Honda partnered up with SenseTime Group of China to develop artificial intelligence, and also with Japan’s Softbank to research next-generation 5G mobile networks. In 2020, Honda announced an agreement to work with General Motors (GM) on the production of two electric vehicles. Honda will design the exterior and interior.
Honda’s stock trades on both the Tokyo Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. Shares also trade on the London Stock Exchange and the SIX Swiss exchange.