Hondatoday announced some pretty bold electrification plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Japanese automaker will invest $40 billion (¥5 trillion yen) in its EV segment, including a new lineup, battery production, and software development.
30 new EV models by 2030
Yep, you read that right. 30 new EVs by 2030.
This is huge for Honda, especially as it’s currently only offering one electric vehicle — the Honda e — which itself is limited to the European market.
The company is planning to launch EVs that are tailored for each market, and is aiming for a production volume of more than two million units per year.
Starting now and continuing through the second half of the decade, Honda will introduce the following vehicles:
- North America: Two mid-to-large size SUVs, the Prologue and the Acura. They’re currently being developed in partnership with GM, and are set for launch in 2024.
- China: 10 new EV models by 2027.
- Japan: A rather cheap mini EV at $8,000 (¥1 million) for commercial use in the beginning of 2024. Following that, Honda will roll out personal use mini-EVs and electric SUVs. The commercial vehicle will come first because Japan lacks the charging infrastructure to support an immediate wide-scale EV deployment, Toshihiro Mibe, Honda’s CEO, explained.
After the second half of the 2020s (and providing that the popularity of electric cars has increased), the automaker will begin the global introduction of what it calls “the best EVs.”
For this reason, 2026 will mark the adoption of the Honda e: Architecture, a dedicated EV platform that includes both a hardware and software layer, and is cloud-connected. Up until then, the company will mostly lean on its partnership with GM, using the Ultium EV platform.
Plus, through its alliance with GM, Honda will introduce affordable EVs, whose cost and range will make them “as competitive as gas-powered vehicles.”
The rollout will begin in 2027, starting with North America.
There’s also a bonus: the Japanese automaker will globally launch two electric sports models, a specialty and a flagship vehicle. Unfortunately, that’s all the information we have for now, but it sounds juicy.