Honda Establishes Solar Cell Subsidiary Company, Honda Soltec to Make Full-Scale Entry into Solar Cell Business

Friday December 1 6:45 PM

The next-generation solar cell to be produced and sold by Honda Soltec was developed by Honda Engineering Co., Ltd., the production engineering subsidiary of Honda. By using thin film made from a compound of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), Honda's next-generation solar cell achieves a major reduction in the amount of energy consumed during the manufacturing process by approximately 50% compared to what is required to produce conventional crystal silicon solar cells. This makes the new solar cell more environmentally-friendly by reducing the amount of CO2 generated even from the production stage.

At the end of September 2006, Honda began construction of a plant to mass produce solar cells within the current site of Honda's Kumamoto factory, and the new facility will become operational in fall 2007 with an annual capacity of 27.5 megawatts. Prior to the start-up of the new plant, Honda Soltec will begin sales in limited areas in March 2007, of CIGS thin film compound solar cells produced by Honda Engineering. Once mass production begins at the new plant in Kumamoto in fall 2007, Honda Soltec will expand sales throughout Japan.

In addition to its effort to reduce CO2 emissions through development of clean automobile engines, Honda is committed to develop environmentally-friendly and sustainable energy technologies. Honda will contribute to the effort to prevent global warming through production and sales of a clean energy source which does not use fossil fuels.

About Honda Soltec Co., Ltd.:

Establishment:              December 1, 2006 
Headquarters location:      1500 Hirakawa, Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto
                             (within the current site of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
                              Kumamoto factory) 
Sales office location:      Wako, Saitama (plan)
Capital investment:         4 billion yen
Capitalization ratio:       100% Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 
Representative:             President: Akio Kazusa 
Employment:                 Approximately 150 associates (plan)
Business:                    Production and sale of solar cells

Lot area:                   25,000 square meters(m2)
Facility size:              11,080 square meters(m2)
Investment:                 Approximately 7 billion yen 
Start of operation:         Fall 2007 (plan)
Production capacity:        Approximately 27.5 megawatts annually

About Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267/NYSE:HMC/LSE:HNDA.L) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.

Source: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Contact:

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Media Inquiries
corporate_pr@hm.honda.co.jp
+81-3-5412-1512

Copyright © 2006 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Japan Corporate News Network K.K.

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