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Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA) is responsible for creating advanced products and technologies that provide new value to Honda and Acura customers. HRA has the capability of "complete product creation" – developing all-new products, starting from market and technology research and design-styling through engineering design, prototype fabrication and testing, local parts procurement, and support for mass production preparation. With major facilities in California, Ohio, North Carolina and Florida, HRA is engaged in the development and testing of Honda and Acura automobiles, and Honda power sports and power equipment products, and is also taking a leading role in the advancement of leading-edge safety and environmental technologies.

Product Research & Development

• From market and technology research to styling, engineering design, fabrication and testing to local parts procurement, Honda R&D Americas is helping create new value for Honda customers through innovation in the development of new Honda and Acura products.
  • Many current Honda and Acura models sold in America – including five of seven light truck models – were researched, designed and developed by Honda R&D Americas. These include innovative and trend-setting products such as the Acura MDX sport-utility vehicle and Acura TL sedan, as well as the Honda Pilot SUV, Odyssey minivan, and Ridgeline truck.
  • The latest example of Honda's ability to develop products and technologies from scratch in America is the 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan, the first U.S.-designed and developed Honda minivan and the highest sales volume model to be developed locally.
  • HRA is taking a leading role in the development of new Acura products, including the design and development of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar.
  • HRA is also leading the development of the next generation Civic for North American markets.

Product Styling Design

• Honda R&D Americas' Los Angeles Center and three California-based design studios are responsible for market research, concept development and styling for Honda and Acura products.
  • The Honda Design Studio (part of the Los Angeles Center) is responsible for the market research, concept development and styling design of Honda-brand automobiles, light trucks, and motorcycles.
  • The Acura Design Studio in Torrance, CA is responsible for the market research, concept development and styling design of Acura automobiles and light trucks.
  • The Advanced Design Studio is responsible for creating future design concepts for Honda and Acura products and works closely with leading design schools.

Environmental Technology Development

• In addition to its work on new vehicle design and development, Honda R&D Americas is engaged in programs to advance alternative-fuel technologies, including natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
  • HRA has developed a new wind tunnel in Ohio that will play an important role in realizing further improvements to the aerodynamic efficiency of new vehicles, enhancing Honda's global R&D capabilities and contributing to Honda's focus on fuel efficiency leadership.
  • HRA supports the development and deployment of the advanced alternative-fuel vehicles such as the FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle.
  • HRA began operating a next-generation Honda Solar Hydrogen Station at its Torrance, CA, headquarters in January 2010. The new system is able to provide hydrogen for daily commuting in a fuel cell vehicle (10,000 miles per year) via an 8-hour overnight fill without the need for a compressor, thereby reducing system cost, complexity and size.
  • HRA supports the Honda Electric Vehicle Demonstration program to research the challenges of realizing broader deployment of electric vehicle technologies, being undertaken with program partners at the City of Torrance, CA, Stanford University, and Google.
  • HRA conducts collaborative research of the Civic Natural Gas vehicle's environmental benefits and customer usage, to support the sales and marketing of natural gas-powered vehicles and the expansion of refueling infrastructure to help support retail vehicle sales.

Safety Technology Research and Development

• Honda R&D Americas is also making significant contributions to Honda's safety leadership.
  • The HRA Ohio Center includes an Automotive Safety Research Facility that houses one of the world's highest resolution crash test barriers and the world's first pitching crash test simulation sled. This facility is responsible for the development and testing of nearly all safety systems on Honda's U.S.-developed vehicles.
  • The U.S.-developed 2012 Acura TL is one of two vehicles to be the first in the industry to earn a GOOD rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in its stringent new small overlap frontal crash test.
  • The U.S.-developed 2011 Honda Odyssey first minivan and first non-luxury automobile to earn both a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score under the federal government's newly modified New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Major North American R&D Facilities
Honda R&D Americas, Inc. operates 14 R&D facilities in North America including the following:

Honda R&D Americas, Inc. - Vehicle Development History
Honda R&D Americas' is responsible for 24 Honda and Acura new-model developments (not including next-generation Acura NSX):

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