Chinese car brands are continuously expanding their presence in the global automotive industry. Aside from having the necessary tech resources, Chinese automakers are reshaping car manufacturing speed.
Among the strengths of Chinese car brands is the speed at which they can produce or manufacture a new vehicle. Beyond their fast manufacturing processes, Chinese car brands are also known for equipping their vehicles with a wide range of technology features. As such, car brands, such as those coming from Japan, notice how Chinese car brands are changing the global automotive industry.
To counter the pace of the Chinese car brands, Japanese automakers are thinking of ways on how to make their vehicle manufacturing process faster and more cost-efficient. Honda is among the car brands that are implementing a new manufacturing system that could be comparable to how Chinese brands do theirs.
Honda said that they want to make its vehicle production faster and more cost-efficient without sacrificing quality control and durability of its vehicles. American Honda Motor CEO Eiji Fujimura reportedly said, through a report published at Japan’s Motor Fan, that the brand appreciates and acknowledges the technological development capabilities of Chinese and Indian manufacturers. However, Fujimura added that Honda cannot prioritize manufacturing speed at the expense of compromising its vehicles’ quality and durability.
With that, Fujimura is reportedly saying that Honda is a brand that would not sacrifice quality and durability in exchange for production speed. But it has already been making moves to improve its production process.
Honda is revamping its manufacturing processes through its “triple-half” structure, which includes cutting development costs, time, and man-hours in half. To do this, Honda will make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital testing to streamline design and production preparation.
The Japanese car brand shared that through the triple-half structure, Honda will reduce the development timeframe for minor model change products by half. For full model change products, Honda will also halve the development timeframe, starting with development projects that will start in 2028.
Autocar’s Take
Chinese car brands are changing the automotive landscape by offering products that are equipped with a lot of tech. Aside from that, they are also employing a fast production rate, allowing Chinese car brands to launch new models more quickly. With that, other carmakers are noticing how Chinese car brands are expanding their presence in the global scene. To address that, Honda is among the car manufacturers that are reshaping the way it produces vehicles. Honda wants to make its production faster without compromising the quality and durability of its products.
