(October 29, 2022) Associates at multiple Honda plants in North America celebrated earlier this week as mass production of the all-new 2023 Honda CR-V hybrid began at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM), featuring a new two-motor hybrid system produced at Honda’s Ohio Transmission Plant (TMP-O), and a newly refined Atkinson-cycle engine unique to hybrid models that is made at the Anna Engine Plant (AEP) in Ohio.   

The Indiana Auto Plant (IAP) and the East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) in Ohio, which produced the previous CR-V Hybrid, will begin production of the 2023 CR-V hybrid in the coming months.  HCM is the global lead plant for CR-V hybrid production, the first time a hybrid has been built in Canada.

Representing a key step in Honda’s electrification strategy, starting with the 2023 model year, about 50% of CR-V’s annual sales in the U.S. will be powered by Honda’s new, more powerful fourth-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system.

“Knowing the importance CR-V hybrid is set to play to our overall electrification strategy, this is a proud moment for the Honda of Canada Mfg. team as we lead the start of global production of CR-V hybrid,” said Clement D’Souza, senior vice president of HCM.

The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V Sport and Sport Touring trims come standard with the new hybrid system featuring the more refined 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and Honda’s new fourth-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system, featuring a pair of electric motors now arranged side-by-side in a parallel axis layout.

Perfect for daily life or weekend escapes, the new CR-V is longer and wider with premium proportions and a significantly broader stance, further advancing the Honda rugged design direction for light trucks with a low horizontal beltline and a long, powerful front end. Honda’s most popular SUV backs up its strong new looks with a more fun-to-drive personality, more confident and refined dynamics, and increased torque and capability.

All three plants producing CR-V in North America, HCM, IAP and ELP, worked in close collaboration with the Anna Engine Plant (AEP) and the Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio (TMP-O), which are responsible for the all-new powertrain for the latest Honda electrified vehicle.

With the sales plan of the new CR-V and Accord hybrid trims expected to represent about 50% of the sales mix of each model, and three different Honda plants in North America producing the new CR-V hybrid models, both AEP and TMP-O were required to dramatically increase production volume for the new engine and hybrid system. For AEP, this increase included more in-house production of engine components and an increase in local sourcing for parts previously supplied from Japan.

For example, AEP is now producing the camshaft for the engine in-house, requiring new equipment and a higher number of processes for associates. TMP-O associates will be increasing production volume of the two-motor system 300% (from 500 to 1500 units per day) within just the first two to three months.

“AEP associates have always supported evolution of our business and we are proud to be the sole provider of this engine to all three of our North American CR-V frame plants,” said AEP plant lead Rick Riggle. “The team has worked hard to prepare manufacturing lines across casting, machining, and assembly operations. This is an important step toward electrification for our company and our associates will be ready to meet the challenge.”

The 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine built at AEP is the first Honda engine to combine high-pressure direct-injection with multistage injection for an extremely homogeneous mixture that delivers clean combustion. To control high exhaust gas temperatures, the cylinder head uses a new two-piece water jacket, new gas-cooling exhaust ports and a large capacity cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve to bring exhaust gases from the exhaust system back into the chamber to reduce emissions.

    •    Largest-ever cylinder head: The cylinder head is the largest that associates at AEP have ever produced and required modifications to the cylinder head casting area.  The cylinder head casting department implemented a unique sand core mould designed by the production engineering team to accommodate the new EGR valve and enhance productivity for cylinder head production.

    •    New sound insulation: The engine also features a more rigid crankshaft and secondary balancer to reduce vibration and all-urethane engine cover, a first for Honda. Honda associates at AEP apply new lightweight fiber-foam insulators, that are highly resistant to heat and vibration, directly on the engine in three different places, creating a quieter and more comfortable ride.  

The fourth-generation two-motor hybrid-electric system made at TMP-O features a new arrangement, switching from coaxial motors of the same size stacked on top of each other to a two-motor parallel axis system with engines of different sizes mounted side-by-side.

The new system also includes new high- and low-speed lockup ratios for direct engine drive on the highway and in the city. Altogether, the new design improves responsiveness for a sportier driving feel and creates a more relaxed driving environment at highway speeds. It also allows for a higher sustained top speed, improves fuel economy and enables up to 1,000 pounds of towing.