Associates at multiple Honda plants in North America celebrated recently as the mass production of the all-new 2023 Honda CR-V hybrid began at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM), featuring a new two-motor hybrid system produced at Honda’s Ohio Transmission Plant (TMP-O) in Russells Point, and a newly refined Atkinson-cycle engine unique to hybrid models that is made at the Anna Engine Plant (AEP) in Ohio.
The East Liberty Auto Plant and the Indiana Auto Plant, which produced the previous CR-V Hybrid, will begin production of the 2023 CR-V hybrid in the coming months.
Representing a key step in Honda’s electrification strategy, starting with the 2023 model year, about 50 percent of CR-V’s annual sales in the U.S. will be powered by Honda’s new, more powerful fourth-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system.
All three plants producing the CR-V in North America worked in close collaboration with the Anna Engine Plant and the Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio, which are responsible for the all-new powertrain for the latest Honda electrified vehicle.
Both AEP and TMP-O were required to dramatically increase production volume for the new engine and hybrid system.
Ohio Transmission Plant associates will be increasing production volume of the two-motor system 300 percent (from 500 to 1500 units per day) within just the first two to three months.
For the Anna Engine Plant, this increase included more in-house production of engine components and an increase in local sourcing for parts previously supplied from Japan.
The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V Sport and Sport Touring trims come standard with the new hybrid system featuring the more refined 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and Honda’s new fourth-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system, featuring a pair of electric motors now arranged side-by-side in a parallel axis layout.
“AEP associates have always supported evolution of our business and we are proud to be the sole provider of this engine to all three of our North American CR-V frame plants,” said AEP plant lead Rick Riggle. “The team has worked hard to prepare manufacturing lines across casting, machining, and assembly operations. This is an important step toward electrification for our company and our associates will be ready to meet the challenge.”
The fourth-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system made at TMP-O features a new arrangement, switching from coaxial motors of the same size stacked on top of each other to a two-motor parallel axis system with engines of different sizes mounted side-by-side. The new system also includes new high- and low-speed lockup ratios for direct engine drive on the highway and in the city.
Altogether, the new design improves responsiveness for a sportier driving feel and creates a more relaxed driving environment at highway speeds. It also allows for a higher sustained top speed, improves fuel economy and enables up to 1,000 pounds of towing.
“TMP-O associates are proud and excited to provide next-generation components for the 2023 CR-V hybrid,” said TMP-O plant lead Gerald Bruch. “We are fully committed to our electrified future, and this is the first of many steps our associates will take in helping Honda achieve its goals for a carbon neutral future.”
TMP-O is the lead plant for production of the new two-motor system in North America. Combined with the higher volume production to meet Honda’s hybrid sales strategy, TMP-O associates were challenged with an increased number of parts – more than double the previous system – that had to be matured for mass production. The new system has more than 80 new parts being sourced from local suppliers, compared to just over 20 parts with the outgoing system.
Smart automation was employed in several locations to minimize the number of machines TMP-O added to produce the new system, boosting efficiency and reducing the need for additional space and investment.
For example, the TMP-O machining department worked to commonize features and minimize the need for exclusive tooling. The assembly team then worked to apply flexible automation utilizing common robots that can quickly change end-of-the-arm tooling when running different models. This was a unique approach from what Honda plants in Japan and China pursued and paid off with increased flexibility and efficiency and more efficient use of floor space within the Russells Point facility.