Honda Motor Company

What does Honda own?
Honda Motor Company owns the Honda and Acura automotive brands, the Honda motorcycle brand (the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer), and Honda Power Products (generators, lawn equipment, marine engines). The company also operates Honda Aircraft Company, which produces the HondaJet light business jet. Honda holds 50% stakes in two major Chinese automotive joint ventures: Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda.

Is Honda publicly traded?
Yes, Honda Motor Company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under ticker 7267. The company's American Depositary Receipts also trade on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker HMC. Honda has a broad institutional and retail shareholder base with no single controlling shareholder.

Who founded Honda?
Honda Motor Company was founded by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa. Soichiro Honda established Honda Technical Research Institute in 1946 in Hamamatsu, Japan, and Honda Motor Company was formally incorporated in September 1948. Soichiro Honda focused on engineering and product development, while Takeo Fujisawa managed business operations and finance. Both founders retired simultaneously in 1973.

Where is Honda headquartered?
Honda Motor Company is headquartered in Minato City, Tokyo, Japan. The company was originally founded in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, and moved its headquarters to Tokyo as it grew. Honda operates manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, and other countries.

How many vehicles does Honda sell annually?
For fiscal year 2025 (ended March 31, 2025), Honda sold approximately 3.7 million light vehicles globally under the Honda and Acura brands, and approximately 20.57 million motorcycles. In May 2025, Honda surpassed 500 million units in cumulative motorcycle production. Honda is the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer by annual sales volume, holding approximately 40% of the global market.

Who owns Honda?
Honda Motor Company is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a broad and diversified shareholder base. No single shareholder holds a controlling stake. Major institutional shareholders include Japanese financial institutions, domestic and foreign investment funds, and individual shareholders. The Honda founding family does not hold a controlling stake in the company.

What is Honda's current financial situation?
For fiscal year 2026 (ended March 31, 2026), Honda reported sales revenue of approximately 21.8 trillion yen but posted its first annual net loss since going public in 1957, with a net loss of 423.9 billion yen. The loss was driven by 1.58 trillion yen in EV-related restructuring charges after Honda cancelled three planned U.S. EV models. Excluding EV-related losses, adjusted operating profit was 1.04 trillion yen. Honda targets a return to profitability in FY2027 with projected net profit of 260 billion yen.

Soichiro Honda founded Honda Technical Research Institute in October 1946 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, initially to develop a motorized bicycle attachment for conventional bicycles. Honda Motor Company, Ltd. was formally incorporated in September 1948. Takeo Fujisawa joined as a co-founder and business partner, with Soichiro Honda focusing on engineering and Fujisawa managing business and finance.

Honda's first complete motorcycle, the Dream D-Type, was introduced in 1949. The company grew rapidly through the 1950s, establishing itself as Japan's leading motorcycle manufacturer. Honda entered the US motorcycle market in 1959 with the establishment of American Honda Motor Company, targeting a broader consumer audience with smaller, more accessible motorcycles. The "You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda" advertising campaign, launched in 1963, successfully repositioned motorcycles as mainstream consumer products rather than vehicles associated with outlaw culture.

Honda entered the automobile market in 1963 with the T360 mini truck and S500 sports car. The company's approach to automobile manufacturing was unconventional: Honda developed its own engines rather than purchasing them from established suppliers, and the company's early cars were known for their high-revving, technically sophisticated powertrains.

Honda entered the US automobile market in 1970 with the N600 subcompact. The 1972 Civic, powered by Honda's CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine, was one of the first cars to meet the stringent US Clean Air Act emissions standards without a catalytic converter, establishing Honda's reputation for clean engine technology.

Honda established its first US automobile manufacturing plant in Marysville, Ohio in 1982, becoming the first Japanese automaker to manufacture cars in the United States. The Marysville plant produces the Honda Accord, one of the best-selling cars in US history.

The Acura brand was launched in the United States in 1986 as Honda's luxury vehicle division, making Acura the first Japanese luxury automotive brand in the US market, predating Lexus and Infiniti.

Honda entered the commercial aircraft market with the HondaJet, a light business jet developed over more than two decades. The HondaJet entered service in 2015 and became the best-selling light jet in its class by deliveries.

For fiscal year 2025 (ended March 31, 2025), Honda reported consolidated sales revenue of approximately 21.7 trillion yen, selling approximately 3.7 million light vehicles and 20.57 million motorcycles globally. Motorcycle sales set records in 37 countries, and in May 2025, Honda surpassed 500 million units in cumulative motorcycle production.

In late 2024, Honda and Nissan entered merger discussions to establish a holding company that would have created the world's third-largest auto group by volume. The talks collapsed in February 2025, and both companies announced they would continue cooperation on specific projects including software-defined vehicles, batteries, and shared components.

In March 2026, Honda cancelled three planned EV models for U.S. production: the Honda 0 SUV, Honda 0 Saloon, and Acura RSX. The company announced a comprehensive reassessment of its electrification strategy, citing declining EV demand and intensifying competition. Total EV-related losses for fiscal year 2026 reached 1.58 trillion yen, producing Honda's first annual net loss since its 1957 IPO. Honda expects additional EV-related losses of approximately 512 billion yen in fiscal year 2027 and targets resolution of EV-related losses by fiscal year 2029.

For fiscal year 2026 (ended March 31, 2026), Honda reported consolidated sales revenue of approximately 21.8 trillion yen, a 0.5% increase, but an operating loss of 414.3 billion yen and a net loss of 423.9 billion yen. Excluding EV-related losses, adjusted operating profit was 1.04 trillion yen. Motorcycle business achieved record-high volumes and operating profit for the year.

Honda Motor Company has committed to achieving carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050. The company has set science-based targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and reported total global emissions of 296.86 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in fiscal year 2025, with approximately 80% linked to product use (Scope 3).

Honda's sustainability strategy has shifted significantly following the March 2026 EV strategy reassessment. The company cancelled three planned U.S. EV models and indefinitely suspended a comprehensive EV value chain project in Canada. Honda now plans to strengthen its hybrid vehicle lineup as the primary near-term path to emissions reduction, while continuing groundwork for future EV hardware platforms and all-solid-state battery research. The company no longer pursues complete in-house battery sourcing, instead leveraging external resources including its L-H Battery Company joint venture with LG Energy Solution.

Honda maintains comprehensive supplier responsibility programs covering labor rights, environmental standards, and ethical sourcing across its global supply chain. The company's "Green Path" initiative promotes renewable energy adoption at dealerships and manufacturing facilities. Honda's Honda Foundation supports education, youth development, and community initiatives in regions where the company operates.

Honda has received recognition for automotive innovation, workplace practices, and environmental leadership:

• Car and Driver 10Best Awards 2025: Honda achieved its 40th appearance on the 10Best list, with the Accord receiving legacy recognition for innovation, efficiency, and performance
• Edmunds Top Rated Car Awards 2025: The Honda Civic Hybrid earned Edmunds Best of the Best and Top Rated Car Awards, the third time the 11th-generation Civic received this honor
• Fortune Most Admired Companies (2024 and 2025): Ranked among the world's most admired companies in the automotive sector
• Fast Company Most Innovative Companies: Multiple years of recognition for automotive innovation and mobility solutions
• Great Place to Work Certification (2024 and 2025): Certification for workplace culture across multiple regions

Honda was significantly affected by the Takata airbag inflator recall, one of the largest automotive recalls in history. Takata manufactured defective airbag inflators that could rupture and send metal fragments into vehicle occupants. Honda was the largest customer of Takata airbags and recalled millions of vehicles globally, costing the company billions of dollars in remediation.

In March 2026, Honda announced up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) in total losses associated with its reassessment of automobile electrification strategy. The announcement drew significant investor and media attention, with Reuters and BBC reporting on Honda's first annual loss since going public in 1957. The scale of the EV write-down raised questions about the viability of Honda's original 2021 EV strategy set under CEO Mibe's leadership.

Honda has also faced regulatory scrutiny regarding fuel economy and emissions compliance in various markets. The company has generally maintained a strong compliance record, though it has faced some regulatory challenges in specific markets. In China, Honda recorded an impairment loss on investments accounted for using the equity method due to intensifying competition from domestic manufacturers.