Earth Equity News

Honda Reaps the Rewards for Staying True to Its Fuel-Efficient Philosophy. By Bill Vlasic, NYTimes, August 25, 2008. "Despite the huge profits that its competitors were minting [during the glory days of big pickups and SUVs], Honda Motors never veered from its mission of building fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly cars... 'I remember being at the Tokyo Motor Show in the mid-1990s and talking about the environment,' said Ben Knight, head of engineering at Honda's North American division. 'The reaction was there's no return on that.' But in today's fuel-conscious automotive market, Honda is reaping the rewards for its commitment. No major automaker in America is doing better... [Its] sales are up 3% for the first seven months of [2008] in a market that has fallen 11%. By comparison, GM is down nearly 18%, Ford has dropped 14%, and Toyota has slid 7%. While competitors are scrambling to [adjust]... Honda can barely keep up with demand, particularly in the subcompact category. Sales of its tiny Fit have soared 79% so far this year, and interest in the vehicle is so strong that Honda accelerated the introduction of the 2009 model, which will go on sale Tuesday."