Honda Achieves Production Milestone in Canada

March 27, 2015 | By Business Wire News

MARKHAM, Ontario

Honda is celebrating the hard work and dedication of generations of Associates, as the company announces it has built its seven-millionth vehicle in Canada. This impressive feat took place during the company’s 29th year of Canadian vehicle production in Alliston, Ontario, home to Honda of Canada Mfg (HCM).

Honda became the first Japanese automaker to manufacture cars in Canada in 1986 when the company opened the doors of its Alliston, Ontario plant. Since then, HCM has manufactured several models including the Honda Accord, Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline, as well as Acura EL, CSX and ZDX vehicles. The plant currently builds Honda CR-Vs and Civics, Canada’s best-selling passenger car for 17 consecutive years.

“More than 1.8 million Honda Civics have been proudly parked in driveways all over this country,” said Dave Gardner, senior vice president of operations, Honda Canada Inc. “Our plant capacity was 50,000 vehicles when we started and we’re now building in excess of 390,000 vehicles per year. This growth is attributed to the superior craftsmanship of the highly skilled Associates who have worked with us over the years to produce the quality and reliability that Honda customers truly value.”

Honda Canada gives back

To mark the seven-millionth Honda vehicle built in Canada, the company will donate the grey 2015 Honda Civic EX sedan to a registered non-profit charity in the coming months through the Honda Canada Foundation, which provides annual funding to registered non-profit charities across Canada in support of science- and engineering-based education, environment and family initiatives.

Honda is committed to giving back to the communities where its associates and customers live, work and play and is involved with such programs as Earth Rangers Bring Back the Wild, Junior Red Riders, Let’s Talk Science, CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish, Make-A-Wish® Canada and the Ontario Science Centre.

Quick Facts

In 1986, Honda was the first Japanese automobile company to open a manufacturing facility in Canada. The Honda Accord was the first vehicle manufactured.
Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) began production at a second manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ontario in 1998, producing the Odyssey, Honda’s first full-size mini-van.
A third manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ontario began producing four-cylinder engines in 2008.
In November 2011, HCM celebrated its 25th year of production in Canada.
HCM employs more than 4,000 manufacturing associates.
Honda has built more than seven million vehicles in Canada since HCM opened in 1986.
HCM has a production capacity of approximately 390,000 vehicles and 260,000 engines annually.
HCM produces the Honda Civic Coupe, Sedan and Si models (Plant 1) and CR-V (Plant 2).
HCM’s Plant 1 produces 820 vehicles per day and Plant 2 produces 800 vehicles per day, for a total output of 1620 vehicles per day.
A new vehicle is driven off the production line at Plant 1 and Plant 2 almost every minute.
(63.4 seconds for Plant 1 and 64.2 seconds for Plant 2).

About Honda Canada

Honda Canada Inc. was founded in 1969. It has produced more than seven million cars and trucks since 1986 at its two manufacturing facilities and builds engines at a third manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ontario. Both manufacturing facilities are extremely flexible and currently build Honda Civic and CR-V models. Honda Canada has invested more than $3.9 billion in Canada and each year it sources nearly $2.1 billion in goods and services from Canadian suppliers. Honda Canada has sold more than four million Honda and Acura passenger cars and light-duty trucks in Canada.

For more information and photos, please visit hondanews.ca.