North American plants to reach full capacity

Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2004 | 9:12 a.m.

Honda Motor Co. expects its plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico to reach full production capacity by about 2006, when the company starts building three more light trucks in North America, its biggest market.

Honda, Japan's third-largest carmaker, said Monday it's shifting production of CR-V sport-utility vehicles for the U.S. to Ohio from the U.K. The company also plans to build the new Ridgeline pickup in Ontario starting next year and a new Acura luxury-brand SUV in Ohio in 2006.

Asia's largest carmakers -- Honda, Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. -- are adding or expanding factories in North America to lift sales and limit the impact of currency shifts on profit. Honda, fifth in U.S. sales, has grown the most reliant among those automakers on North America, where it earns 80 percent of its operating profit.

The three models will fill Honda's expected capacity in North America to make 1.4 million autos annually, spokesman Yuzuru Matsuno said. Tokyo-based Honda says it doesn't plan to add a sixth factory in North America.

"There is always the potential to squeeze out more from existing facilities," said Matsuno, who is based in Detroit. "It's too early to think about an additional plant."