2022 Honda Ridgeline Rtl-e Awd Truck W/navigation on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda recalling 25k Odyssey minivans over side curtain airbags

Honda's refreshed 2014 Odyssey (now with 100-percent more vacuum power!) launched last year, but is now being called back for issues related to the side curtain airbags. According to Honda, 24,889 Odyssey minivans are affected by an issue that may cause the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light to illuminate or, even worse, cause the side airbags to not deploy in a crash.
What went wrong, exactly? We'll let Honda explain:
During assembly of the electrical coupler for the side curtain airbag on the passenger's side of the vehicle, it is possible that the shorting terminal, which is used to prevent deployment of the airbag before it is assembled into the vehicle, may have been damaged. A damaged shorting terminal may illuminate the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) indicator as well as prevent the side curtain airbag from deploying during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Honda previews new BR-V three-row crossover for Indonesia

Honda is planning to roll out a new seven-seat crossover in Indonesia. But before it does, it's giving the public a taste of what's to come with a concept to be unveiled in Tangerang, previewed in the pair of teaser renderings you see here. Dubbed the BR-V prototype (for Bold Runabout Vehicle), the Honda concept calls for a three-row crossover with room for seven passengers – just like the Pilot we get over here. But if the design sketches are anything to go by, it'll look better. We'll reserve final judgement on the styling until the actual thing is unveiled in the metal, though. Full technical specifications are likely still a ways off from being announced. However the Japanese automaker and its Indonesian importer have confirmed that the BR-V will be powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine of unspecified output, mated to a choice of two transmission options. We don't know whether one of those might include all-wheel drive or not, but Honda has indicated that it's built high ground clearance into the BR-V – which ought to keep it from being confused with the low-riding Subaru BRZ, to say nothing Honda's other similarly named crossovers like the CR-V or HR-V. That's about all we know for the time being, but the BR-V promises "to address various customer needs" with "a tough and solid exterior design" combined with a "comfortable and spacious cabin." Locals can start anticipating its unveiling at the Gaikindo Indonesian International Auto Show in Tangerang this August, when P.T. Honda Prospect Motor will already open up the order books. Related Video: All-New Honda BR-V Prototype to Make World Premiere at Gaikindo Indonesian International Auto Show JAKARTA, Indonesia 29 June 2015 – P.T. Honda Prospect Motor released the first official sketches of the all-new Honda BR-V Prototype which will make its world premiere at the upcoming Gaikindo Indonesian International Auto Show 2015, scheduled for 20 - 30 August 2015, in Tangerang, Indonesia. The new BR-V was jointly developed for the Asian market by Honda R&D Asia Pacific Co., Ltd., in Thailand, and P.T. Honda R&D Indonesia. This model will be introduced to the Indonesian market as Honda's new generation crossover utility vehicle to address various customer needs. The new BR-V features tough and solid exterior design with high ground clearance, big and stylish alloy wheels and sleek roof rails. The model also offers a comfortable and spacious cabin with seven seats in a 3-row configuration.

Child cobalt miners: Automakers pledge ethical minerals sourcing for EVs

BERLIN - Leading carmakers including Volkswagen and Toyota pledged on Wednesday to uphold ethical and socially responsible standards in their purchases of minerals for an expected boom in electric vehicle production. Demand for minerals such as cobalt, graphite and lithium is forecast to soar in the coming years as governments crack down on vehicle pollution and carmakers step up their investments in electric models. To cover its plans for more than 80 new models by 2025, Volkswagen alone is looking for partners in China, Europe and North America to provide battery cells and related technology worth more than 50 billion euros ($59 billion). Talks with major cobalt producers, including Glencore, at VW's Wolfsburg headquarters last week ended without a deal. More than half of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country racked by political instability and legal opacity, and where child labor is used in mines. On Wednesday, a group of 10 leading passenger-car and truck manufacturers announced an initiative to jointly identify and address ethical, environmental, human and labor rights issues in raw materials sourcing. The partnership dubbed "Drive Sustainability" consists of VW, Toyota Motor Europe, Ford, Daimler, BMW, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Cars and truckmakers Scania and Volvo. The alliance "will assess the risks posed by the top raw materials (such as mica, cobalt, rubber and leather) in the automotive sector," said Stefan Crets of the CSR Europe business network. "This will allow Drive Sustainability to identify the most impactful activities to pursue" to address issues within the supply chain.Reporting by Andreas Cremer.Related Video: Image Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images Green BMW Ford Honda Jaguar Land Rover Mercedes-Benz Automakers Toyota Volkswagen Volvo Green Automakers Green Culture Electric Scania ethics mining