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Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.

Honda finds new Green Path to reduce CO2 emissions

In the wake of the Volkswagen diesel scandal, it's impossible to hear an automaker talk about its overall environmental efforts and not think to yourself, "for real?" Still, we're willing to listen. And Honda representatives gave it their best shot yesterday in Marysville, OH as they introduced a small group of journalist to the company's expanded initiative aimed at cutting CO2 emissions and the total life-cycle environmental impact of Honda products. Called Green Path, the initiative now includes a $210-million expansion at Honda's Marysville, OH manufacturing plant to install a better, cleaner paint shop. Speaking at the facility yesterday, Honda representatives said that the plant room is not only better for the environment (it uses limestone dust instead of water to capture paint particles, for example, reducing water usage by about 2 million gallons annually. Overall, the new paint shop will have 60 percent less VOC emissions and reduce CO2 emissions by 18 percent), it also makes the cars look better. That's whey the two-step temperature curing process will initially only be used on Acuras to differentiate them from the competition. Honda will fire up trials in late 2017. There's more to Green Path than the new paint show, of course. The company wants to reduce - in some cases eliminate - what it calls substances of concern (SOCs), things like lead and mercury. There are also new wind turbines in Ohio to supply power to Honda plants, the Environmental Leadership Program for independent dealerships to make their own green moves, and swapping out fluorescent light bulbs for LEDs, among other efforts. In the Marysville Auto Plant, for example, the Assembly department has over 10,000 task light bulbs. The fluorescent ones used to need to be replaced every three years, but the new LEDs have a life span of 16 years. Honda says that calculating up the impact of all of these little changes will remove an average of 3.822 kilograms of CO2 from the production tally of each car it makes. The company's stated goal is to reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent (compared to 2000 levels) by 2050. You can find out more in Honda's press release and video, below. Honda Announces New "Green Path" Initiative to Reduce Total Life-Cycle Environmental Impact MARYSVILLE, Ohio (Sept.

Honda Civic Tourer Concept shows the shape of European things to come [w/video]

Honda will be expanding its European Civic range this year, and our first glimpse at the shape of things to come arrives in the form of this Tourer Concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. According to Honda, this swoopy concept provides a look at the upcoming Civic Tourer production model, which is set to be revealed in Frankfurt this September.
The Tourer Concept very obviously builds on the design groundwork set by the latest Civic hatchback when it first debuted in 2011. That means there are sharp, angular elements found up front and a sloping roofline that rakes down at the rear. Combine that with the large, concept-spec wheels and the funky front lighting elements, and what we have here is a really attractive little wagon - something that will no doubt battle the new Toyota Auris Touring Sports and Volkswagen Golf Variant that are also making their debut here in Switzerland.
It goes without saying, but don't expect to see this Euro Civic show up in the United States anytime soon. After all, we have the "there, I fixed it" 2013 sedan and coupe to keep us happy. Scroll down for all of the wagony details, including a video.