Honda built 84% of the cars it sold in 2009 in North America

[siegen]

Full article

Unfortunately the percentage of North American-made parts that went into each vehicle isn't available. It does state that Honda spends over $17.5 billion with North American parts suppliers annually. Without a frame of reference that number is sort of meaningless, but it would be interesting to see how much Toyota and other manufacturers spend annually with North American suppliers.

Highlights of the article:

• Honda operates seven vehicle assembly plants in North America -four in the US, two in Canada, and one in Mexico.
  
• Three engine manufacturing plants in North America -two in the US, one in Canada.
  
• Two transmission and gear set manufacturing plants in North America -both in the US.
  
• Two new plants for the production of HondaJets and GE Honda turbofan engines are under construction in North Carolina.
  
• Honda exported 27,000 North American-built vehicles and 300,000 component parts in 2009 to other countries.
  
• Honda has maintained a North American production rate of approximately 75 percent or higher since 1996.
  
• Honda makes annual purchases of more than $17.5 billion in parts and materials from suppliers in North America.
  

Doing some quick math, it would appear that Honda built around 966,659 vehicles in 2009 through a total of 7 North American assembly plants. That is 138,094 per plant annually, or 531 per plant daily given 260 work days a year (1,150,784 * 0.84 / 7 / 260). I'm not sure how that compares to other manufacturers, but it would be very interesting to know the differences in how efficiently the assembly plants operate between makes.

[Drew Dowdell]

Peachy. What percentage of the purchase price of the car stays in the U.S.? That is the key metric.

[daves87rs]

Is the Fit built here? I can't seem to remember...

[Z-06]

Is the Fit built here? I can't seem to remember...

Nope. Only the Accord, TL, Fridgeline, Pilot, Odyssey. and now the Civic is now being built at the Greensburg, IN plant.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think the CR-V is built in Ohio

[Z-06]

I think the CR-V is built in Ohio

You are right. CRV is either Mexico, Japan or OH. I have seen VIN with J-- and 3--.

[Satty]

Peachy. What percentage of the purchase price of the car stays in the U.S.? That is the key metric.

Unless Honda doesn't pay property taxes, utilities or employee wages, a chunk of it is going to stay in the U.S.

[Drew Dowdell]

and all I want to know is what percentage that is. I'm betting that even a CR-V that is built in Ohio gives a smaller percentage back than a Malibu built at Fairfax.

and many of the transplants don't pay property taxes.... that's how municipalities lure them there.

[A Horse With No Name]

I think the CR-V is built in Ohio

Don't remind us! We're embarassed enough about Harding and a few of our misadventures in recent elections. Ohio doens't need any more shame.

[daves87rs]

Don't remind us! We're embarassed enough about Harding and a few of our misadventures in recent elections. Ohio doens't need any more shame.

Lol!

[ocnblu]

Siegen, that's nice, dear.

No really. Out of all the Asian manufacturers, I think Honda is the least offensive in the way they present themselves. I don't think I could bring myself to buy one unless it were an ATV, though.

Now Toyota, Toyota can be the new Yugo, for all I care. If they packed up and left our purple mountains majesty and amber waves of grain tomorrow, I'd cheer to the top of my lungs.

[daves87rs]

I'd be careful ocn, Honda is going to give GM a run for their money.

You can bet that next civic is going to be a good one.

Short of the Korean duo, the small car battle lies here. (though Ford is coming on quick)

[BrewSwillis]

How many American cars are sold in Japan? How many American automakers have gotten subsidies and incentives from the Japanese government to build their plants in Japan, to sell cars to the Japanese?

The answer to the first question is hardly any. The answer to the second question is exactly ZERO.

No wonder why the world's population thinks Americans are stupid.

[ocnblu]

We certainly do give away our country and our citizens' livelihood more freely than any other country I can think of.

[pow]

How many American cars are sold in Japan? How many American automakers have gotten subsidies and incentives from the Japanese government to build their plants in Japan, to sell cars to the Japanese?

The answer to the first question is hardly any. The answer to the second question is exactly ZERO.

No wonder why the world's population thinks Americans are stupid.

And as a result, how has Japan's economy been doing? Crappy.

Trade and foreign investment creates jobs. The theories of economic mercantilism have been long gone...

Edited January 11, 2010 by pow

[BrewSwillis]

And as a result, how has Japan's economy been doing? Crappy.

Trade and foreign investment creates jobs. The theories of economic mercantilism have been long gone...

Japan's economy is doing "crappy", because it has been doing artificially good for so long, due to currency manipulation. Japan's economy died when they couldn't devalue their currency enough against the extremely weak dollar. Plus, the Chinese don't like to buy Japanese goods like us Americans do. We buy and buy, and expect nothing in return.

[daves87rs]

Japan's economy is doing "crappy", because it has been doing artificially good for so long, due to currency manipulation. Japan's economy died when they couldn't devalue their currency enough against the extremely weak dollar. Plus, the Chinese don't like to buy Japanese goods like us Americans do. We buy and buy, and expect nothing in return.

True....

[frogger]

Have their plants been handicapped by the UAW?

[BrewSwillis]

Have their plants been handicapped by the UAW?

I would have to argue: YES....somewhat. The workers at "transplant" plants get alot of the benefits of being union members, without paying any of the dues. The very existence of the UAW forces the "transplant" companies to pay their workers a comparable wage, with comparable benefits. A UAW presence in "transplant" plants is just one simple vote away.

The execs at Toyota have already announced that they plan on scaling back US factories, because it's "getting hard make a profit there".

The report from Seiichi (Sean) Sudo, president of Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing in North America, said Toyota should strive to align hourly wages more closely with prevailing manufacturing pay in the state where each plant is located, "and not tie ourselves so closely to the U.S. auto industry, or other competitors."....

....The root of Sudo's worry: Labor costs as a percentage of sales are growing faster than Toyota's profit margin. "This condition is not sustainable in the long term," he said in the report.

Yeah, like for over 100 years??

[pow]

Japan's economy is doing "crappy", because it has been doing artificially good for so long, due to currency manipulation. Japan's economy died when they couldn't devalue their currency enough against the extremely weak dollar. Plus, the Chinese don't like to buy Japanese goods like us Americans do. We buy and buy, and expect nothing in return.

I'd argue that Japan's economy has been crappy 1990 onwards... just cause a private corporation based there is doing well doesn't translate into a strong economy overall.

And Toyota isn't state-owned... if you buy a Sienna here, the profits don't "go to Japan" - it goes to Toyota, which in turn invests (and pays dividends) in all parts of the world.

I'm in China right now... and the Chinese certainly like their locally-made (Guangzhou) Camrys and Accords as much as Americans do.

Edited January 12, 2010 by pow