Honda to invest $124 mn to advance vehicle innovation

Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda is going to invest $124 million (approx Rs 802 crore) to establish a multifunctional aeroacoustic wind tunnel facility to advance vehicle innovation and enhance the world-class testing facilities at the Transportation Research Center (TRC), in East Liberty, Ohio.

The groundbreaking is slated for the late summer of 2017, informed the automaker in a statement.

“This new facility will further enhance our ability to efficiently create products of the highest quality for our customers,” said Frank Paluch, president of Honda R&D Americas.

“It will be integral to our aerodynamic and aeroacoustic R&D activity, which spans from advanced research and computer simulation, through scale-model and full vehicle development, to production vehicle performance assurance. And all of this is being done right here in the US.”

“This innovative and industry leading asset provides us with another distinct reason for our customers to take advantage of the world-class testing facilities we have in Ohio at TRC,” said Mark-Tami Hotta, president and CEO of the Transportation Research Center.

The aeroacoustic wind tunnel facility will have space for four secure and confidential customer bays, providing the opportunity for use by customers other than Honda.

The advanced acoustic design will drive the next generation of wind noise reduction by utilising a strategic system of microphones and cameras set up to measure and identify potential noise issues on both the exterior and interior of a vehicle during the development stage, added the company.