Innovation & Technology Collaboration & Co-Creation

Zero Emissions:
We Came to Collaborate

Despite outward differences between industries, most companies face similar challenges when it comes to sustainability — especially related to carbon-associated logistics. Only by working together can we create clean solutions.

Sponsored Content | / This article is sponsored by Honda Motor Co., Inc | By David Perzynski | Published 1 month ago | About a 6 minute read

Image: Honda

It was incredible to experience the collaborative energy at SB’24 San Diego. Spending time in a community of innovative thinkers creating powerful change within their organizations was both humbling and inspiring.

At Honda, our commitment to sustainability reflects two challenging global goals we have set for the year 2050: to achieve zero emissions for both our products and corporate activities, and zero traffic fatalities from collisions involving Honda automobiles and motorcycles — even older models.

While my plenary speech focused on our decarbonization journey, other members of Team Honda — Brian Bautsch, our director of North American Safety Strategy; and Alyssa Barbuto, Environmental Sustainability lead within our Supplier group — led a panel to share our wider view of sustainability at Honda. We also offered all SB’24 attendees the opportunity to drive two of our zero-emission vehicles — the 2024 Honda Prologue and the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell vehicle.

What became clear from the conversations during the week was that, despite the outward differences of the industries, most of the conference participants represent companies facing similar challenges when it comes to sustainability. Whether in advancing new technologies or reimagining the core tenants of a business, everyone is dealing with change — and collaboration will be essential to our future success.

We are all in the midst of an epic challenge: How can we build a sustainable future together? Honda in particular is in a once-in-a-hundred-years period of transformation for the automotive industry. As the largest producer of internal combustion engines in the world — with some 30 million engines per year powering our cars, motorcycles, power equipment products and more — moving Honda toward zero-carbon technologies represents a tectonic shift in our business.

However, such bold challenges are not new to Honda. In fact, as early as the 1970s, Honda became the first automaker to embrace the challenge to meet stringent tailpipe emissions standards — powered by our engineers’ rallying cry for “Blue Skies for our Children.” The reality is that the cars of the future won’t have tailpipes, which underscores the need for Honda to adapt and transcend to fulfill our goal of being a company that society wants to exist.

This led our global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, to call for the "Second Founding of Honda" — marking a bold return to the risk-taking spirit of our early days as a startup company, to realize the future of mobility incorporating our dual goals for zero emissions and zero fatalities.

While almost everyone is aware of the shift to electrification within the automotive industry, what is less well known is the potential for renewable energy sources to power other aspects of our operations. This level of decarbonization is something that affects everyone; we cannot afford to try to do it alone.

David Perzynski onstage at SB’24 San Diego | Image credit: Sustainable Brands®

Our hydrogen story is symbolic of this direction. For almost 40 years, Honda has been researching hydrogen technologies as an energy source. We have achieved significant technical success, enabling us to introduce the first fuel cell vehicles used by individual customers while learning a great deal. This year, after several generations of FCEVs, we introduced the Honda CR-V e:FCEV. It’s not only a great fuel cell electric vehicle — it’s the first one in the US to incorporate plug-in hybrid technology.

During this period of transformation within Honda, we challenged ourselves to see the bigger picture. We like how hydrogen complements investment into renewable energy, how it has high energy density and can be excellent for decarbonizing hard-to-electrify segments, and how the only output is simply H2O. How could we apply what we have learned about hydrogen to achieve decarbonization for hard-to-electrify cases? To wean off diesel-powered products with long use schedules and higher carbon emissions — namely commercial trucks, construction equipment and stationary power stations?

Like most manufacturing companies that rely on the transport of parts to our plants and then finished products to market, we face a notable challenge in decarbonizing our logistics network. While some trucks can be electrified with batteries, over-the-road rigs require a significant amount of electricity and face long recharging times. In some areas, there isn’t enough capacity on the grid to allow for such EV charging demand that an electrified truck fleet would require.

We need an approach that would work for the 600 suppliers that deliver parts via trucks to our manufacturing plants, to the rail lines that take our finished vehicles to our network of dealers, and every single truck traveling between these destinations. We found it with hydrogen. While we are not planning to build Class 8 trucks ourselves, we do hope to inspire new and existing truck manufacturers to enable their decarbonization plans by using Honda fuel cells.

For applications where there are long duration backup needs, and for when there are limitations on grid capacity — especially when there is not enough power for EV charging — Honda believes strongly that fuel cells have a pathway to parity with diesel cost of ownership.

Honda’s stationary fuel cell power station in Torrance, CA | Image credit: Honda

We face a similar challenge in decarbonizing our backup power portfolio, which typically relies on diesel technology. Resilience and energy independence are crucial and often cannot be satisfied through batteries or solar and wind power alone. We are already demonstrating a fuel cell backup power source on our corporate campus in Torrance, California, with plans to install similar systems at our other facilities and data centers in North America.

During the Sustainable Brands conference, I spoke about how the Honda vision for decarbonization aligns with my own dream. I grew up with asthma, and I sincerely want my children to live in a world without diesel. Ultimately, as we grow our new energy business, it is critical that we continue to leverage strategic partnerships that will benefit customers and society— and uncover new areas to fuel our mutual growth. Honda cannot create blue skies alone. Most every company present at SB’24 has carbon-associated logistics, as well as for backup power — and only by working together can we create clean solutions.

This is just the beginning. In the coming years, you will see us evolve in exciting ways. Beyond fuel cell business, Honda will be creating tremendous change through our investments in EV battery manufacturing, home automation, bi-directional V2G charging and more.

Our founder, Soichiro Honda, believed that the purpose of technology is to help people. Through our actions, and through the collaborations we build together, we sincerely hope that the power of our dreams for the future of mobility will move you. Please join us in advancing these goals for the environment and safety.