Honda Introduces the New Pioneer 1000

Honda has teamed up with a slightly unexpected partner for their newest project. That partner is DreamWorks Animation and the project is augmented and virtual reality content with a solutions test bed for the in-vehicle experience. Proof of concept will be demonstrated at this weekend’s Consumer Electronics Show. Guests will be able to test out the new technology and experience the Honda Dream Drive prototype at the Honda booth. "Entertainment in the car is rapidly changing as consumers rely more and more on personal devices and Honda sees new opportunities to create unique experiences for our customers," said John Moon, Developer Relations Lead at Honda Developer Studio. "The collaboration with DreamWorks enables Honda to enhance the in-vehicle experience through new ways of delivering information and entertainment." The new software development kit will “fuse live telematics data to feed in-vehicle entertainment, education and information applications that are contextually synchronized with the motion of the vehicle in real-time” giving users a very unique experience. "We see the cabin of an automobile as an untapped platform for delivering entertaining and educational experiences to consumers," said DreamWorks Animation's Chief Animation Technology Officer Jeff Wike. "Working with Honda has enabled us to bring our collective talent together to explore and identify opportunities in adapting and creating new forms of consumer engagement." "Honda Teams With DreamWorks Animation to Create Virtual Reality "Honda Dream Drive" Experience." Honda Newsroom. Honda, 4 Jan. 2017. Web. 05 Jan. 2017.

Last week, the East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) in East Liberty, Ohio began production on the all-new 2017 Honda CR-V. This SUV, which will go on sale this winter, has been redesigned for its fifth iteration and is the “best-selling SUV in America over the past 20 years”. "Our Ohio team did an incredible job as the lead plant for the global launch of this new Honda CR-V and we look forward to sharing this world-class 2017 CR-V with our customers in the U.S., North America and around the world." said Tim Myers, plant manager at the East Liberty Auto Plant. "With a first-ever available turbocharged engine that is also built right here in Ohio we believe the CR-V will continue to set the standard for compact SUVs." This is the first time a Honda plant in the U.S. has led the mass production efforts for a global model. Not only that but the East Liberty Auto Plant also developed the technologies and processes that will form the manufacturing base for CR-V production at ten Honda plants globally. The 2.8 million square foot plant employs 2,350 associates and has the ability to manufacture 240,000 passenger cars and light trucks every year. "Honda Begins Production of All-New 2017 CR-V in Ohio; First-ever Global Production Launch for East Liberty Plant." Honda Newsroom. Honda, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

At the 2016 STEP Ahead Awards, which took place yesterday in Washington, D.C., Honda Team Member Jan Gansheimer was recognized for her efforts to help advance the work of women in the manufacturing industry.  All of the honorees at the event were recognized for their work in helping to create more awareness about the manufacturing industry as an advanced, high-tech industry in the U.S. while also promoting educational programs to strengthen training efforts in this industry. STEP stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Production and these annual awards have been designed to recognize women in the manufacturing industry who make an active effort to provide encouragement and support to other women interested in a career in this industry. Currently, around 47 percent of the labor force is made up of women, but only 27 of the manufacturing workforce is women, a fact that the women honored in the STEP awards are attempting to change. "I love the variety that manufacturing offers at Honda because it provides the opportunity to create, to solve problems and to work constantly to improve products for the customer," said Gansheimer, who was recently named Assistant Vice President of Human Resources for Honda North America, Inc. "I'm honored to be recognized for supporting an industry that has significantly impacted my life and is so important to the fabric of the country." Gansheimer has been with Honda since 1986 when she started out as a production associate in the Marysville Auto Plant. Over the years, her dedication and skill has helped her to advance into a number of different positions including staff engineer at the East Liberty Auto Plant, manager of the North American Support and Development group in the Purchasing Division, plant manager of the Marysville Motorcycle Plant, division manager of the Purchasing Division and her current position of AVP of plant operations for Honda of America Mfg., Inc. "Honda Associate Honored as Leading Woman in Manufacturing."Honda Media Newsroom. N.p., 21 Apr. 2016. Web. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hondanews.com%2Freleases%2Fhonda-associate-honored-as-leading-woman-in-manufacturing>.