50 Years of Honda R&D in America

History of Major Honda R&D Operations and Facilities in America

1975

• First U.S. Honda R&D facility opens in Torrance, Calif., to conduct local market research, playing a critical role in understanding customer needs in America.
  
  
• The Honda Design Studio opens in Torrance, Calif. to support concept development for motorcycles and automobiles.
  
  
• Ann Arbor Test Lab opens in Michigan to support emissions testing and simulation of road conditions for powertrain systems.

1979

• Honda begins motorcycle and automobile styling in America.

1980

• Denver Test Lab opens for high-altitude emissions testing and catalyst aging.

1985

• First R&D operations in Raymond, Ohio begin.

1990

• Honda Proving Center of California opens in the Mojave Desert, designed for comprehensive vehicle testing with a 7.5-mile oval and on-/off-road tracks.

1993

• New U.S. R&D center opens in Ohio for product development, now called the North American Automotive Development Center.

• Honda Performance Development, now Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), in Santa Clarita, Calif. established, supporting racing engine, chassis and performance parts design and development.
  
  
• North Carolina Center (now known as Solutions System Development Office) opens in Haw River, N.C., responsible for design, development, and market testing of power equipment products.

2003

• Automotive Safety Research Facility within R&D center in Ohio opens, which includes several world’s first test capabilities, airbag testing, pedestrian safety testing, and structural strength testing.
  
  
• Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) opens a Silicon Valley Research Office in San Jose, Calif.

2004

• Honda Aero is established to support the development and eventual manufacturing of the GE Honda HF120 turbofan jet engine, which powers the HondaJet.

2006

• Honda Aircraft Company, the company’s world headquarters, R&D and production center, opens in Greensboro, N.C.

2007

• Acura Design Studio opens for the development of new concepts and styling for future Acura products.

2009

• Marine Research Office in Grant-Valkaria, Fla., for market research and testing of
  Honda Marine products opens.

2011

• Honda Silicon Valley Lab (HSVL) was established as an open innovation lab within Honda R&D Americas. In 2014, HSVL established Honda Developer Studio as a workspace for developers to collaborate with Honda engineers on connected car apps. In 2015, it established Honda Xcelerator to support and collaborate with startups on new technologies.

2013

• HPD (now HRC-US) opens its Indiana Tech Center, in Brownsburg, Indiana, to provide race preparations support, engineering support and racing simulations for IndyCar race teams.

2017

• HSVL becomes a separate company, Honda R&D Innovations, to be known as Honda Innovations, established as an open-innovation hub focused on connected vehicle/IoT, HMI, machine intelligence, personal mobility.

2018

• Together with The Ohio State University, Honda opens the 99P Labs, a digital proving ground that serves as a collaborative research ecosystem to help further develop mobility and energy concepts.

2022

• State-of-the-art Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO) wind tunnel facility in East Liberty, Ohio opens with three separate testing functions in one location—aerodynamics, aeroacoustics and racing.

History of Significant Products and Technologies Created in America

1990

• 1991 Accord Wagon: first Honda vehicle to be designed, developed and manufactured in America¹.

1992

• 1992 Civic Coupe: second Honda vehicle to be designed, developed and manufactured in America.

1994

• 1994 Honda Accord Wagon: second generation Accord designed, developed and manufactured in America.

1996

• 1997 Acura CL 2.2 (Coupe): first Acura to be designed, developed and manufactured in the U.S.

1997

• 1998 Accord Coupe: first Accord Coupe developed by U.S. development team based on new flexible platform as part of all-new 5th generation Accord lineup.

1999

• 1999 Acura TL 3.2: first Acura vehicle designed and engineered in America by Honda R&D teams in Torrance, Calif. and Raymond, Ohio.

2000

• 2000 Acura MDX: the brand’s first U.S. designed and developed SUV. The MDX wins both North American Truck of the Year and Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year.

2001

• 2001 Honda Civic Coupe: first U.S.-developed small car to earn the federal government's top (five-star) safety rating in both frontal and side impact tests.
  
  
• Twin clutch on-demand VTM4 (Variable Torque Management 4WD) system introduced in the 2001 Acura MDX and next applied it to the 2003 Honda Pilot.

2002

• 2003 Honda Pilot: first Honda SUV designed and developed in America.
  
  
• 2003 Honda Element: new Honda compact crossover SUV, concept creation led by a U.S. Honda market research team, with design and development in America.

2003

• HondaJet advanced light jet makes its inaugural test flight on December 3 at the Piedmont-Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C.

2004

• 2004 Acura TL: third-generation TL designed, developed and manufactured in America.
  
  
• Honda launches the HRX Series lawnmower developed in U.S., pioneering the unique Versamow™ System offering flexibility between bagging and mulching.

2005

• 2006 Honda Civic Coupe: a team of American engineers develop a dynamic coupe variant of the all-new Civic as well as the Civic Si, that helps the 2006 Civic earn Motor Trend Car of the Year.

• 2006 Honda Ridgeline: developed by a team of U.S. R&D engineers, the first-ever Honda pickup truck, with an innovative in-bed storage compartment, earns North American Truck of the Year and Motor Trend Truck of the Year.

• Torque vectoring on-demand SH-AWD™ (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™) system debuted in the 2005 Acura RLX and then applied to the 2007 Acura MDX.

2008

• 2009 Acura TL: U.S.-developed fourth-generation Acura TL manufactured at the Honda Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio.

2009

• 2009 Acura ZDX Concept: makes its debut at the New York Auto Show, designed by American Honda R&D.
  
  
• 2009 Pilot: second generation Pilot introduced, designed and developed in the U.S.

2010

• 2011 Honda Odyssey: first U.S.-designed and developed Odyssey minivan.
  
  
• Honda Aero conducts Flying Test Bed (FTB) for the HF120 with a CitationJet1 model.

2013

• Honda earns FAA Part 33 certification for the GE Honda Aero Engines HF120 turbofan, clearing the path for certification of the U.S.-developed HondaJet.

2014

• 2014 MDX: third generation MDX designed in Los Angeles and developed and manufactured in Ohio.

• 2015 Acura TLX: designed and developed in the U.S., manufactured in Marysville, Ohio.

2015

• Honda receives FAA type certification for the HondaJet (HA‑420), enabling the U.S.-developed Honda aircraft to begin customer deliveries.

2016

• 2016 Honda Pilot: third generation Pilot designed and developed in the U.S. is introduced with a more powerful U.S. engineered powertrain and Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver assistive features.

• 2017 Acura NSX: the only supercar designed, developed and manufactured in the U.S

• i-VTM4® (Intelligent Variable Torque Management) system with an electro-hydraulic actuator debuted in the third-generation 2016 Honda Pilot.

2018

• 2018 Passport: designed in Los Angeles and developed in Ohio for the first time.

• 2019 RDX: first RDX to be designed at the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles and developed by the company’s North American R&D team, in Raymond, Ohio.

2019

• The Honda Safety Research Center in Ohio leads development of the world's first passenger front airbag designed to prevent severe brain trauma associated with angled frontal collisions.

2021

• Honda R&D designers and engineers create the Shogo electric ride-on vehicle to transport young patients during treatment for serious illnesses and throughout their hospital stay as they continue their road to recovery.

2022

• 2022 MDX: fourth generation MDX is designed and developed by U.S. R&D teams and is the first MDX to feature a Type S trim.

2023

• Honda designers and engineers in California and Ohio create the all-electric Motocompacto e-Scooter, redefining personal mobility.

• 2023 Pilot: The U.S. developed SUV adds a rugged TrailSport trim and is the first Honda vehicle with standard all-terrain tires.

2025

• 2026 Passport: the second all-new Passport to be designed and developed in the U.S. is the most rugged Honda SUV, yet.

• Acura and the USA Bobsled/Skeleton form Official Premier Technology and Automotive Partnership to advance performance utilizing the world-class Honda Wind Tunnel in Ohio.