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Honda (http://www.honda.com) has fully deployed its fleet of Auto-Max® railcars, achieving a significant reduction in the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions associated with its automobile distribution activities in the United States. The 400-car fleet of more space-efficient Auto-Max railcars is the only such automaker-operated fleet in use in the United States. Including the Auto-Max fleet shipments, American Honda currently transports about 82 percent of its Honda and Acura automobiles across the country by rail, achieving the highest rail-shipping rate of any automaker.

Each multi-level Auto-Max railcar holds up to 22 vehicles and can hold both trucks and cars to reduce unused space. The result is less fuel usage per vehicle shipped and no compromise to quality. An average bi-level railcar can transport only 10 trucks, generally of a single vehicle type.

Honda’s Auto-Max railcars have a 50-year estimated lifespan versus standard railcars, which typically require a major overhaul after just 20 years of service. Honda participated with the Greenbrier Companies (NYSE:GBX) in designing Auto-Max, which is exclusively manufactured by Greenbrier.

“Honda is adopting a holistic approach to minimizing its greenhouse gas emissions, addressing not only the production and on road use of our products, but also new, more fuel-efficient strategies for how we transport our products to dealers,” said Dennis Manns, assistant vice president, Sales & Logistics Planning for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Rail is the most environmentally responsible method available to move our products, and our Auto-Max railcar fleet can make a good system even more fuel efficient.”

To further support Honda’s strategy to increase product distribution by rail, Honda this year invested approximately $7 million to redesign the rail infrastructure at its automobile plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio. The redesign added rail capacity, enabling American Honda to ship more units via rail. Further, inbound and outbound trains at the plant can now operate at a faster pace; pull easier on upgraded tracks; and, require less railcar switching in the yard, reducing fuel consumption, CO2, and other air pollutants emissions that are produced while engines are left idling.

According to CSX, which serves Honda’s rail operations in Ohio, the infrastructure improvement contributes an annual savings of 2,436 gallons of fuel and 54,432 pounds of CO2 per year.

Honda is globally committed to minimizing air emissions from its products and factories. Honda is working to achieve its goals by reducing CO2 emissions by improving the energy efficiency of Honda manufacturing plants and by improving the fuel efficiency of its automobile, powersports and power equipment products. Honda’s legacy of environmental leadership includes a long list of industry firsts, including the world’s first low-emission vehicles, America’s first gasoline-electric hybrid car, and the world’s first EPA-certified hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. In 2007, Honda was named the “Greenest Automaker” by the Union of Concerned Scientists for the fourth consecutive time.

Honda Power Equipment is enhancing the premium HRX lawnmower product line featuring its unique and popular Versamow™ System. The Versamow™ technology easily enables simultaneous distribution of clippings to both the bag and the ground, and also allows the user to convert between mulching and bagging modes without changing equipment or using any tools.

New to the HRX product line for 2008 is the premium HRX217K2VKA model, equipped not just with Versamow™, but also featuring the exclusive Honda SMART Drive™ Transmission. The newest HRX model allows the user to easily control the mower’s speed simply by resting his or her hands on the handlebars - adding even more convenience and ease of use to what already is the most user-friendly 21-inch mower on the market today.

The new HRX217K2VKA is available nationwide through Honda Power Equipment dealers and The Home Depot retail stores at an MSRP of $699.00.

The Honda HRX217K2VKA also features a mowing deck made of advanced Nexite™, the extremely durable material used in a variety of demanding applications such as car bumpers, football helmets and computer cases. Nexite™ does not dent, rust or corrode over time. The easy-to-clean mowing deck also allows clippings to circulate naturally for maximum mulching.

“The new Honda HRX217VKA is a durable, low-maintenance, high-quality lawnmower designed to provide an infinitely easier mowing experience through several key design features in addition to the Versamow™ technology and new SMART Drive™ Transmission,” said Honda Power Equipment vice president Steve Bailey.

These design features include a Zone Start Safety System, Ergo-ActiveTM, easy-folding handlebars, a single rear height adjuster, larger wheels, a higher cut height and increased bag size.

“The result is a lawnmower with virtually effortless operation, speed control and better maneuverability - all at an affordable price point,” added Mr. Bailey.

In addition, the HRX217VKA is designed to:

Attain best-in-class performance in both mulching and bagging modes; (mulching or bagging normally requires two separate mower models, each designed for the respective purpose);
Increase the convenience for the user to convert between mulching and bagging modes without the use of any tools or the removal or addition of any equipment;
Provide enhanced functionality by allowing a partial, simultaneous mulching/bagging operation that allows the user to choose what percentage of grass clippings are mulched or bagged;
Improve bagging performance by increasing the distance the operator can mow between bag cleanings while maintaining the high grooming standards that homeowners - and their neighbors - demand.
The HRX217K2VKA is powered by the fuel-efficient Honda GCV190 OHC/OHV 4-stroke engine, providing exceptionally reliable starts and quiet operation. Its overhead cam layout, along with a lightweight and durable uniblock construction, create a lighter and more compact package than anything in its class, delivering excellent power-to-weight ratio.

Honda is the world’s largest engine manufacturer, having sold nearly 24 million models in 2007 across all of its global product lines. Its mowers are characterized by the same clean, fuel-efficient technology that is behind the company’s reputation for unparalleled durability, quality and reliability.

Basketball superstar and two-time Honda Sports Award winner (2007, 2008) Candace Parker of the University of Tennessee has been awarded the 32nd annual Honda-Broderick Cup, designating her as the 2008 Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. The announcement was made today by the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program in the Low Library at Columbia University in New York City. The prestigious award recognizes not only outstanding athletic achievement but team contributions, scholastics and community involvement as well.

Parker was selected as winner of the Honda-Broderick Cup by a voting of nearly 1,000 NCAA member schools. The 6′4″ forward is the second basketball player from the University of Tennessee to win the Honda-Broderick Cup, after Chamique Holdsclaw, who won the award in 1998. Last year’s winner was volleyball star Sarah Pavan of the University of Nebraska. Previous winners include track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1985), soccer great Mia Hamm (1994) and swimming star Tara Kirk (2004).

Noted Parker: “I am honored to be chosen as the Honda-Broderick Cup winner this year from such an outstanding group of female student-athletes. I have been blessed to be recognized as an individual but know that I couldn’t have gotten where I am today without the help of my family, friends, teammates and coaches. My experience at the University of Tennessee prepared me for life as a professional basketball player and as a strong, independent woman. Coach Summitt always says if you surround yourself with great people and players, you are destined for great things. Winning this award and two national championships at Tennessee are, to me, great things. I want to thank Honda for its continued support of the award and women’s athletics throughout the years.”

Parker was among five finalists for the Honda-Broderick Cup. This year’s other included:Amanda Blumenherst, Duke University (golf); Rachel Dawson, University of North Carolina (field hockey); Jacquelyn Johnson, Arizona State University (track and field); and Angela Tincher, Virginia Tech (softball).

Parker to Play With U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing

Parker was recently named to the U.S. Olympic team set to compete in Beijing this summer. She was the #1 WNBA draft pick this year and has been playing for the Los Angeles Sparks. In her final year at UT, she led the Lady Vols to their second consecutive NCAA Championship and was recognized for the second time as Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four, only the fourth player ever to do so. A three-time All American, she was also named Player of the Year by AP and ESPN.com. Her 40 blocks in 16 career NCAA tournament games is the second best record of all-time. She also ran a streak of 44 games of double-digit scoring and broke her own school record for single-season free throws made (194) and attempted (277).

A native of Naperville, Ill., Parker came to the University of Tennessee as perhaps the most decorated high school basketball player in history and only the second Lady Vol hailing from the state of Illinois. She finished her career at Rocky Top as the all-time leader in blocked shots, free throws made and free throws attempted. She also became just the fourth 2,000-point scorer in school history. Among her many honors, she was chosen this year as a unanimous All-SEC first-team selection by the media and for the third time a unanimous All-SEC first team choice of the league coaches.

Academic Star As Well

While at UT, Candace excelled in academics as well as athletics. A sports management major, she was named the Academic All American this year in the University division, and was also selected by ESPN the Magazine as a first-team Academic All-American and the 2008 Basketball Academic All-American of the Year - the first Lady Vol to do so since Jill Rankin in 1980. She is also only the second Tennessean to earn Academic All-America citations in consecutive years. In addition to her athletic and academic achievements, Candace also found time while in school to work with community service organizations such as D.A.R.E, Loaves & Fishes and the Ronald McDonald House.

Individual Honda Sports Award winners, in each of the 12 sports in addition to the final five included: Texas Tech’s Sally Kipyego for cross-country, Georgia Tech’s Amanda McDowell for tennis, Texas A&M University’s Ashlee Pistorius for soccer, Stanford University’s Foluke Akinradewo for volleyball, University of Florida’s Caroline Burckle for swimming & diving, the University of Georgia’s Katie Heenan for gymnastics and Northwestern University’s Hannah Nielsen for lacrosse.

Other Honors Presented

In addition to the annual Honda-Broderick Cup, the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards Program also presents its Honda Inspiration Award each year to a deserving collegiate female athlete. This year’s recipient was Patience Knight, an NCAA Division I softball player at Texas Tech. In February 2007, Knight was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor 8.6 cm in diameter near her heart. Immediately after her biopsy and throughout her painful struggle with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she courageously continued to train and compete with her team, ultimately setting a school record of 56 feet, 8” in the shot put at this year’s NCAA Indoor Championship meet. She is now cancer-free and carries a 3.9 GPA.

At the Columbia University ceremony, the program also honored its annual “Athletes of the Year” from both NCAA Division II and Division III colleges. They are Division II, University of Minnesota Duluth volleyball star Vicky Braegelmann, and Division III, Willamette University’s cross country standout Sarah Zerzan.

Additionally, the Irv Grossman Award of Merit was presented to the Women’s Sports Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King. Karen Durkin, Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation, accepted the award, which recognizes unique achievement as it contributes to public awareness and appreciation of women’s collegiate athletics and elevates the status of women’s collegiate sports on a national level.

The “Collegiate Women Sports Awards sponsored by Honda” will air nationally on CBS College Sports Network for the third consecutive year on Sunday, June 29 (7:00 PM, ET). Hosted by CBS College Sports Network’s Greg Amsinger, the telecast includes the presentation of the Honda-Broderick Cup, among other awards, and features interviews with this year’s winners.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. sponsors the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Program.

Honda Power Equipment produces and markets a complete line of lawnmowers for commercial, premium residential, and consumer applications. The product line consists of 10 models in four different series, including Honda HRS, Honda HRR, Honda HRX™, and Honda HRC Commercial.

Each product family incorporates a number of features and accessories for versatility and convenience. They include a variable height adjustment system; an ErgoActive™ handle; a large capacity standard rear easy on/easy off grass bag; the exclusive, twin-blade Honda MicroCut or QuadraCut System™; discharge chute and leaf shredder options; and a choice of mowing decks. Honda mowers are the only of their kind to offer advanced and durable maintenance-free Cruise Control hydrostatic transmissions that allow for infinite drive speed variation while maintaining maximum engine speed.

In keeping with Honda’s tradition of technological and environmental leadership, all Honda lawnmower models feature Honda’s easy-starting engines that deliver smooth, quiet, reliable four-stroke power. The compact, lightweight OHC (overhead cam) GC Series offers maximum power and high-efficiency combustion for home use, and the OHV (overhead valve) GX Series delivers rugged, commercial grade performance.

The Honda HRR Series

The Honda HRR Series consists of three different models, each containing a number of standard features and benefits, including:

An easy-starting 4-stroke, single cylinder GCV160 OHC engine designed to reduce weight and increase mower maneuverability;
The world’s first internal timing belt on a mower with reserve power for the most demanding mowing conditions;
The exclusive twin-blade QuadraCut System™ that uses four cutting surfaces for superior mulching and bagging;
The Honda HRR steel mowing deck;
An easy on/easy off grass bag for low-effort emptying;
An ErgoActive™ handle incorporating easily accessible controls, designed to maximize safety, comfort and convenience;
A height adjustment system, offering seven mowing height adjustments ranging from ¾” to 4″ (depending on the model) for different mowing needs;
Variable and three-speed transmissions (depending on the model).
Introduced in 2006, the all-new HRR Series lawnmower line is designed to deliver exceptionally easy operation, high performance and superior fuel efficiency. The HRR216K5VXA model is equipped with the revolutionary, variable speed SMART Drive™ transmission system and new ErgoActive™ easy-folding handlebars - delivering an infinitely easier lawnmowing experience at an affordable price. HRR Series models - the HRR216K5VXA and HRR216K5TDA - are available nationwide through Honda Power Equipment dealers and The Home Depot retail stores.

The HRR216K5VXA incorporates Honda’s newest technological innovation, the SMART Drive™ transmission system. Developed and tested by Honda R&D, in conjunction with a professional ergonomic specialist for the most comfortable operation, this unique Variable Speed Transmission (VST) allows the user to easily control the mower’s speed simply by resting his or her hands on the handlebars. By placing either one or both thumbs on the lever, the operator can easily control the mower’s speed and even mow with one hand.

The new HRR Series, powered by Honda’s GCV160 OHC engine, replaces the HRR216K2SDA/TDA and HRZ216TDA models and incorporates a number of ergonomic design elements that make easy work of mowing.

Honda offers the following three mowers in the HRR Series:

Model Propulsion Standard Design Features
HRR216K5PDA
Push type
3-speed Rear bagger/mulcher, 4-in-1 (mulch, bag and side discharge, optional chute and leaf shredder)
HRR216K5TDA Self-propelled
3-speed Rear bagger/mulcher, 4-in-1 (mulch, bag and side discharge, optional chute and leaf shredder)
HRR216K5VXA SMART Drive™ Transmission Rear bagger/mulcher, 4-in-1 (mulch, bag and side discharge, optional chute and leaf shredder)

The Honda HRX™ Series

Introduced in 2004, the Honda HRX Series pioneers the unique Versamow™ System that, for the first time on any mower, easily enables simultaneous distribution of clippings to both the bag and the ground. New for 2008 is the premium HRX217VKA. Equipped with the SMART Drive™ Transmission, the newest HRX model allows the user to easily control the mower’s speed simply by resting his or her hands on the handlebars - adding still more convenience and ease of use to what already is the most user-friendly 21-inch mower on the market today. All HRX models are available nationally through Honda Power Equipment dealers.

The HRX models use the 4-stroke, single-cylinder GCV190 OHC engine. The HRX electric start model, introduced in 2005, also features advanced Cyclon sealed lead-acid battery technology. The battery is mounted on the mower’s handlebar and integrated with a convenient automotive-style key switch. Depending on use, the battery should only require charging twice a year, delivering up to 300 starts on a single charge. Electricity is fed to a small starter motor incorporated in the GCV190 engine.

The Honda Versamow System has been designed to be a complete four-in-one mowing system delivering the ultimate in flexibility. A Clip Director lever located behind the engine cowling operates a sliding door between the mower deck and the grass bag allowing the operator to easily:

Rear discharge;
Mulch 100 percent of clippings;
Bag 100 percent of clippings;
Simultaneously mulch and bag or rear discharge in varying degrees through 10 separate settings.
The system also offers a setting for leaf shredding where leaves are recirculated until they are small enough to pass into the bag. All this can take place without a conventional mulch plug and labor-intensive conversion associated with most mowers.

Targeting best-in-industry bagging performance, HRX is able to mow 40 percent further before the bag is full, allowing the operator to empty the bag 40 percent less often. This is accomplished through the use of a 2.5 bushel grass bag, and Honda’s new MicroCut™ offset twin-blade cutting system that results in finer clippings that pack the bag more efficiently. Additional HRX features and benefits include:

The exclusive, easy-to-clean Xenoy® mowing deck, which allows clippings to circulate naturally for maximum mulching; the deck comes with a five-year non-commercial warranty;
A hydrostatic transmission that offers infinitely variable speed control for individual pace;
A blade brake clutch for quick blade stopping without shutting off the mower - allows for bag emptying without restarting the engine.
Model Propulsion Standard Design Features
HRX217K2VKA Variable speed SMART Drive™ Transmission Mulcher/bagger; Flywheel brake and auto choke system
HRX217K2HXA Hydrostatic drive Mulcher/bagger with blade brake clutch
HRX217K2HMA Hydrostatic drive; electric start system featuring Cyclon sealed lead-acid battery technology Mulcher/bagger with blade brake clutch

The Honda Commercial Series

Completely re-engineered from the ground up are Honda’s HRC Commercial Series mowers. First introduced in 1989, the existing HRC series has been replaced by two models: the self-propelled, hydrostatic drive HRC216K2HXA and push-type HRC216K2PDA. For the first time, the HRC Series’ legendary mowing performance is enhanced by offering Honda’s exclusive MicroCut™ twin-blade mulching technology.

Both all-new HRC mowers are stronger, faster, lighter, more efficient, and incorporate a number of key features:

Dome shaped deck design that facilitates both bagging and mulching while delivering finer clipping particles;
Offset twin blade MicroCut System (the only 2-blade 21″ commercial mower);
New Hydrostatic Cruise Control transmission that has been redesigned for increased durability and higher top speed; (HXA model only)
Improved handlebars that are now adjustable for height;
Front bumper provides mower deck and engine protection; also allows convenient transport tie down.
Durable, lightweight Xenoy wheels with axle protectors.
Model Propulsion Standard Design Features
HRC216K2PDA Push type Zone start, Honda GSV engine with aluminum uniblock construction, cast iron sleeve dual-stage air filter, MicroCut™ twin blades
HRC216K2HXA Hydrostatic Cruise Control transmission Rear bagger with Honda GXV engine upgrade and Roto-Stop® blade brake clutch, MicroCut™ twin blades

In addition, the introduction of the push model HRC216K2PDA marks the U.S. debut of Honda’s GSV160 overhead cam (OHC) engine, while the self-propelled HRC216K2HXA utilizes Honda’s legendary GXV160 engine. Both engines feature all-aluminum construction and a cast-iron cylinder sleeve.

“At the heart of every Honda mower is a world-renowned, easy-starting engine that delivers smooth, quiet, reliable 4-stroke power and low emission levels,” said Steve Bailey, Honda Power Equipment assistant vice president. “All Honda mowers offer the same exceptional level of quality, performance and reliability as every product that carries the Honda name.”