Responding to the global slowdown in pure EV sales, Honda Motor has announced that it will realign its electrification strategy. It will instead divert its resources to the development of next-generation hybrid powertrains, and will do so with a brand-new logo.
Honda Motor President and Representative Executive Officer (Global CEO) Toshihiro Mibe said that the carmaker is now expected to fall behind its previous announced 30 percent target of global EV sales by 2030. At the same time, it has acknowledged the growing demand for Hybrid Electric Vehicles or HEVs.
It’s for this reason that Honda will now divert resources to the development of next-generation HEV powertrains, with the first to be introduced from 2027 onwards. By 2030, Honda will aim to sell around 3.6 million units globally with around 64 percent (2.2 to 2.3 million) of these being HEVs.
The next-generation Honda hybrid system will still be based off the current two-motor e:HEV system, but with more than 10 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. Like the current system, it will continue to offer a “high-quality driving feel.”
At three systems will be developed to be used in their small-, mid-, and large-size vehicles. These will be hooked up to brand-new vehicle platforms that focus on driving stability and weight reduction. A new all-wheel drive e:HEV system is also being developed, and this one will have precise and more responsive motor control.
Realizing that cost competitive is imperative to the success of HEV models, Honda is aiming to reduce the cost of the next-generation hybrid system by more than 50 percent compared to the hybrid system installed to models introduced in 2018, and by more than 30 percent compared to the hybrid system introduced in 2023 to current models.
Honda’s renewed focus in hybrids will mean that future electrified models—both EVs and HEVs—will be signified by these models getting the new “H mark” starting in 2027. Once reserved for Honda’s line of pure EVs, they will be used globally in the 13 next-generation HEV models starting in 2027.
The world is always changing...flexibility is the key.
ReplyDeleteThe new logo should signify Honda's transition to electrification. I'm excited for their solid-state batteries.
ReplyDelete