On Wednesday, Honda Moto announced that as part of an increased effort to go green and be environmentally friendly, the car manufacturer will begin recycling rare earth materials this year from the batteries used in hybrid cars. As a whole, Japan is heavily dependent on imports to get its rare earth elements, especially from China. While the materials are invaluable for the manufacturing of high-tech consumer electronics, ongoing tensions with China pose a threat to Japan’s supply.
Honda claims that they will be the first in the auto industry to start rare earth recycling, with the hopes of a September or October launch. Takanobu Ito, Honda’s president, commented that the future of Japan’s energy policy has become uncertain in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and there is no better time than now to make a push towards the use of renewable energy sources. Ito also said that Honda is making efforts to decrease pollution and its contribution to global warming, and one day hopes to make cars that combine the company’s fuel-cell technology with solar power, creating a car that runs on energy from nature only.
The Honda president pointed to founder Soichiro Honda’s focus on the environment, and how he would tell workers that everyone in the auto industry is responsible for trying to reduce emissions. Prior to Honda’s entrance into the US market, the company had set a goal for building a fuel-efficient gasoline engine, in order to pass the country’s strict regulations against pollution. Honda created its legendary CVCC engine in the 1970s, and was the world’s first auto maker to clear the standard. Shortly after, regulations against pollution were also adopted in Japan.
