Honda has just conducted its 2023 Business Briefing, following the recent Auto Shanghai 2023 exhibition. Automotive News Europe reports that at the briefing, Honda CEO, Toshihiro Mibe admits to falling behind in the electric vehicle (EV) and that “they [Chinese EVs] are ahead of us, even more than expected.”
“We are thinking of ways to fight back. If not, we will lose this competition. We recognized we are slightly lagging behind, and we are determined to turn the tables,” he adds. The same sentiment is echoed by the company COO, Shinji Aoyama who said “We were overwhelmed by the Chinese.” At the recent auto show, Chinese brands flooded the exhibition hall with sophisticated, advanced EVs of all kinds.
To ‘fight back’, especially in the Chinese market, Honda is set to launch the Honda e:NS2 and e:NP2 in China in early 2024. There will also be a production version of the e:N SUV xù concept car that was shown recently at Auto Shanghai 2023.
For the Chinese market, Honda aims to introduce 10 new EV models by 2027, including the 3 models mentioned earlier. The company aims to make its line-up 100% electric for the Chinese market by 2035.
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For the North American market, Honda will introduce a mid-to-large size EV model which adopts the brand’s new E&E architecture based on its original dedicated EV platform. This model will go on sale in 2025. In preparation for the electrification, Honda will re-tool three existing Honda plants in Ohio to establish highly efficient and highly flexible production lines and position these plants as Honda’s EV Hub for production in North America.
In its country of origin, Honda will introduce a Honda N-Van commercial mini EV that will go on sale in the first half of 2024. There will also be an EV model based on the N-ONE and 2 small EV models (including an SUV) that will go on sale in 2026.
Globally, Honda aims to make its line-up fully EV and FCEV by 2040. It also aims to produce 2 million EVs annually by 2030.
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Besides cars, Honda will also roll out 10 or more electric motorcycles by 2025. Honda aims to increase its annual sales of electric models to 3.5 million units (equivalent to approximately 15% of total unit sales) as of 2030. Japan, Europe, and Indonesia will welcome the “Honda EM1 e:” electric scooter with swappable battery technology before the end of 2023.
Other than vehicles, Honda will also roll out its vehicle charging service. Based on the Honda SmartCharge (an EV charging service currently available in North America), Honda is planning to roll out an energy business that utilizes the power supply capability of EVs. For public charging, Honda will work toward the establishment of an EV charging services environment for its customers in collaboration with providers of convenient and reliable charging networks.
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