2014 Honda Accord Ex-l on 2040-cars

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China's largest dealer body pushes back against foreign automakers over huge inventories

Do not think for a second that automakers forcing inventory on dealers in order to pad the numbers is a ruse known only in the US. Stories of individual brands have hinted at the trouble Chinese dealerships are having trying to move units as the country's economic growth remains hot but comes off the boil, like the one revealing that 95 percent of Toyota-FAW showrooms are losing money. Yet Toyota isn't the only culprit, and the issue has become so dire that the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), the largest dealer body in the country, has written to the government to complain. Chinese car sales are expected to close out the year with an annualized growth of six-percent, down from last year's 14 percent when targets were set, while in the background the pace of overall economic expansion is the slowest its been since the early nineties. Automakers, shipping cars on schedule to make their earlier targets, have blown up inventories such that they are an average of 1.8 times monthly sales, when the preferred multiplier is from 0.9 to 1.2. According to the CADA, the price wars and necessary incentives mean that only 30 percent of dealers are operating in the black. That number is down a whopping forty percent since 2010. In response, Toyota has already said it will not make its 2014 target of 1.1 million cars sold. We're a long way from 2012, when Toyota planned on selling 1.8 million cars in China in 2015, a target that's now as realistic as a manticore. BMW, Honda and Nissan have erased numbers on their spreadsheets, too; BMW growth dropped from 20 percent to 8 percent midyear after it began "reducing wholesale supplies," and Honda has been reworking its plans as sales have decreased each of the past six months. It's a big deal for Chinese dealers to begin protesting publicly, the CADA saying, "In the past, dealers were angry, but dared not speak out. But now, they have to shout because the situation is getting so unbearable." With six-percent growth forecast for next year and dealers unwilling to remain underwater, The Year of the Sheep coming in 2015 could portend meaning beyond the zodiac. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong BMW Honda Nissan Toyota Car Buying Car Dealers

Honda recalls 6,800 Accord hybrids for switching to fail-safe mode

Honda is recalling 6,786 examples of the 2014-2015 Accord hybrid for an issue that can cause them to go into fail-safe mode. There are no reports of injuries or accidents, but the company has received 58 warranty claims about the problem as of Sept. 17, 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported. Due to an issue in the sedan's hybrid battery cell voltage sensor, the part can be affected by electrical noise from the hybrid battery inverter and motor circuits. When this happens, the vehicle enter a fail-safe EV mode, which shuts off the internal combustion engine and limits the speed to 40 miles per hour. According to Honda, the Accord hybrids have about two miles of driving range in this state, and afterwards they stall. As a fix, the automaker has a software update to keep the sensor from misinterpreting the electrical noise. RECALL Subject : Hybrid System may go into Fail Safe Mode Report Receipt Date: SEP 25, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V602000 Component(s): HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 6,786 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HONDA ACCORD HYBRID 2014-2015 Details Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) SUMMARY: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Honda Accord Hybrid vehicles manufactured August 29, 2013, to May 30, 2015. Electrical interference may cause the hybrid system to switch into fail-safe mode, disabling the gasoline engine, limiting the vehicle's speed to 40 miles per hour and functioning only on battery power. Once the battery is discharged, the vehicle will stall. CONSEQUENCE: A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the hybrid system software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 6, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JT7. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Statement by American Honda Regarding Cell Voltage Sensor Recall: 2014-2015 Accord Hybrid Oct 5, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Honda will voluntarily recall 6,786 model-year 2014-2015 Accord Hybrid vehicles in the United States to update the hybrid system software related to the hybrid battery cell voltage sensor (CVS), free of charge.

Honda Project 2&4 concept has 212 hp, 893 lbs, and our hearts

Take one look at the Honda Project 2&4 concept, and it's immediately clear that the minimalist track special is the result of a collaboration between automotive and motorcycle designers. The body's styling is a modernized take on the Japanese brand's RA272 Formula One car from the 1960s, but then you notice the weird driver's seat that's fully exposed and suspended just inches above the road. The result is a vehicle that looks absolutely deadly, but like an absurd thrill to pilot, too. The Project 2&4's floating seating design simultaneously evokes both a sport bike and a go-kart. There's no dashboard or windshield at all, and the driver simply gets a steering wheel and a glass panel for the instruments. It's hard to imagine pairing things down much more than this, especially since the whole vehicle weighs just 893 pounds. The concept's other major piece of motorcycle DNA is the mid-mounted 1.0-liter V4 sourced from Honda's RC213V that races in MotoGP. Tuned here for road use, it puts down over 212 horsepower when spinning at 13,000 rpm, and peak torque of 87 pound-feet hits at a still stellar 10,500 rpm. The redline is at a stratospheric 14,000 rpm. The high-revving engine bangs through the gears through a six-speed dual clutch transmission. Unfortunately, the Project 2&4 has zero provisions for even a modicum of driver safety, and that makes it exceedingly unlikely for one to ever see customer orders. We still look forward to seeing that bizarre, floating seat on display at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, though. HONDA PROJECT 2&4 POWERED BY RC213V TO DEBUT AT FRANKFURT: A COMBINATION OF GLOBAL CREATIVITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP Winner of Honda's 'Global Design Project' to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show Cabin-less structure features a floating seat design for immersive driving experience Powered by Honda's MotoGP RC213V engine, modified to run on public roads 'Honda Project 2&4 powered by RC213V', the winning entry from Honda's 'Global Design Project', will make its global debut at the 66th Frankfurt Motor Show at stand B11 in Hall 9.0. Embodying the concept of 'creative craftsmanship', Honda Project 2&4 celebrates Honda's position as the world's leading engine manufacturer, providing engines to 28 million people per year across two- and four-wheel automotive, power equipment, marine and aerospace applications.