Media

Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) today marked the start of mass production of the all-new 2012 Civic Natural Gas as it moves to increase production of the alternative-fuel Civic to support an expanding network of certified Civic Natural Gas dealers across the U.S. Engines for the Civic Natural Gas will continue to be supplied by Honda's engine plant in Anna, Ohio.

HMIN will ramp-up production of the Civic Natural Gas (formerly the Civic GX) during the 2012 model year to meet anticipated increasing demand for alternative-fuel vehicles. The added production will support Honda's growing network of U.S. Honda dealers qualified to provide retail sales and service support for the Civic Natural Gas, expanding from 72 Honda dealers in four states to nearly 200 dealers in 36 states, including one new Honda dealer in Indiana.

The 2012 Civic Natural Gas is powered by the cleanest internal combustion engine ever certified by the U.S. EPA and is the only OEM-made natural gas vehicle available for retail purchase in America. It is part of Honda's growing portfolio of advanced environmental technology vehicles which include three hybrid models, the world's most advanced fuel cell electric vehicle, the FCX Clarity, the Fit EV electric vehicle and a Honda plug-in hybrid car, both launching in 2012. The fully redesigned 2012 Civic Natural Gas model goes on-sale October 18, 2011, with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $26,155.

"We're extremely proud Indiana is the home for this all-new Civic Natural Gas," said Jun Nishimoto, HMIN President. "As the sole producers of the Civic Natural Gas, our associates in Greensburg are making an important contribution to Honda's global effort to reduce CO2 emissions and advance the deployment of vehicles that can help the transition away from gasoline to cleaner and more sustainable alternative fuels."

Honda's Greensburg, Indiana, plant is one of only three auto plants globally to earn a Platinum Award for quality from J.D. Power and Associates in 2011. The plant began production of the all-new 2012 Civic Sedan in April of this year and reached full, one-shift production of new Civic Sedans in early September, following the parts supply disruption caused by the earthquake in Japan in March.

HMIN is now making final preparations to double its capacity, from 100,000 to 200,000 vehicles annually, with the start of two-shift production on October 24, 2011. HMIN has hired nearly 1,000 new associates to support the move to two-shift production.

Multiple Benefits for Civic Natural Gas Owners
The Indiana-made Civic Natural Gas offers multiple user benefits, including significantly reduced operating costs compared to gasoline. In Indiana, for example, natural gas from public refueling stations currently costs on average $1.85 (on gasoline-gallon-equivalent basis) or roughly half the cost of gasoline. Also, public entities in Indiana—such as school corporations, municipalities, cities and townships—are eligible for $2,000 state-issued grant for each new alternative-fuel vehicle purchase.

As an alternative-fuel vehicle with extremely low smog-forming emissions, the Civic Natural Gas currently also qualifies for single-occupant access to High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) "carpool" lanes in California and several other states. And natural gas, as a low-carbon fuel, emits 25 percent less CO2 emissions than gasoline when used to power an internal combustion engine.

Featuring new styling, enhanced performance and increased fuel economy, the redesigned 2012 Civic Natural Gas can now also be equipped with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System featuring an exclusive database of publicly-accessible Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refueling stations across the United States.

The 2012 Civic Natural Gas is powered by a specially designed version of the same 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine found in the 2012 Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe models and has an EPA-rated city/highway/combined fuel economy of 27/38/31 miles per gallon (gasoline-gallon equivalent), up 12.5 percent in city driving and 5.5 percent on the highway compared to its predecessor. The 2012 Civic Natural Gas also incorporates the Honda ECO Assist™ system, an innovative technology that can enhance efficient vehicle operation at the touch of a button, while also providing visual feedback to the driver to promote and confirm a more fuel-efficient driving style.

Standard equipment on the 2012 Civic Natural Gas includes the new "intelligent" Multi-Information Display (i-MID) that provides a convenient platform for integration of vehicle information and compatible personal electronics with a driver-oriented, 5-inch color LCD display and intuitive steering wheel controls.

All models also come equipped with Bluetooth® HandsFreeLink® for wirelessly connecting compatible mobile phones, and a USB audio interface for compatible music players.

Honda Manufacturing of Indiana
Honda Manufacturing Indiana, LLC (HMIN) in Greensburg, Indiana, became Honda's fourth auto plant in the U.S. and its seventh in North America when it began production of Civic Sedans in October 2008. The plant marked production of its 100,000th Civic in February 2010. With employment approaching 2,000 associates and capital investment exceeding $550 million, HMIN today produces the Civic Sedan for markets within and outside of North America. HMIN is also the exclusive manufacturer of the Civic Natural Gas. HMIN started operations as a zero-waste-to-landfill factory and maintains one of the lowest environmental footprints of any automobile plant in Honda's global production network.

Honda Environmental Leadership
In addition to the Civic Natural Gas, Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, including vehicles powered by advanced gasoline engines, as well as gasoline-electric hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell-electric vehicles.

Honda has led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles, from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), for eleven consecutive years.

In 2006, Honda became the first automaker to announce voluntary CO2 emissions reduction targets for its global fleet of automobile, powersports and power equipment products and its global network of manufacturing plants. Today, the company is striving for even greater reductions in CO2 emissions that contribute to global climate change, while also working to minimize waste, water use and the total environmental footprint of its operations worldwide.

Honda media contacts:
Anita Sipes (Honda Manufacturing of Indiana): (812)-560-8535, anita_sipes@hmin.honda.com
Jessica Fini (American Honda): (310) 783-3724, jessica_fini@ahm.honda.com

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Based on 2012 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

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