{"id":210368,"date":"2021-10-18T12:18:29","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T16:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=210368"},"modified":"2021-10-18T12:18:38","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T16:18:38","slug":"honda-reveals-trio-of-bev-concepts-shifts-long-term-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2021\/10\/honda-reveals-trio-of-bev-concepts-shifts-long-term-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Honda Reveals Trio of BEV Concepts, Shifts Long-Term Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Honda revealed a trio of new battery-electric concept vehicles expected to anchor its shift to an all-electric future in China \u2014 and help it accelerate the transition to battery power in other markets, including the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Honda
Honda President Toshihiro Mibe laid out the company’s plans for electrification in China and beyond.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The announcement marks a major shift for the third-largest Japanese automaker. Until now, Honda had been planning to offer a broad mix of different electrified technologies, from conventional hybrids, to pure-electric models, as well as fuel-cell vehicles. Now, CEO Toshihiro Mibe<\/a><\/strong> said, the goal is to shift exclusively to battery and hydrogen power, starting with the Chinese market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChina is at the forefront of technological innovation, so we will seek to rapidly respond by introducing leading edge technologies and products for our Chinese customers,\u201d Mibe said during an online presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honda now plans a rapid shift to EVs, FCVs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By 2030, Honda plans to \u201cmainly\u201d introduce battery-electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles, or BEVs and FCVs, in China, said Mibe, \u201cno longer launching new internal combustion engine vehicles\u201d there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shift will begin almost immediately, with 10 new Honda-branded electric vehicles set to debut in China during the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Honda
The Honda e:NP1 will begin production for China next year.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The three concepts introduced this weekend offer a preview of what\u2019s to come. All are based on skateboard-like platforms that mount batteries and motors below the load floor, freeing up designers and engineers to develop distinctively different types of vehicles from those it sells today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From concept to customer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The e:N is a two-door all-electric coupe, the e:N SUV is a battery-powered crossover, and the e:N GT a zero-emissions sports car. Honda plans two versions of its new electric architecture, the e:N F chassis for compact, front-wheel-drive EVs, the e:N W for larger models with rear and all-wheel-drive drivetrains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three new models are set to go into production in 2024, with new, dedicated EV assembly plants being built as part of Honda\u2019s joint ventures with local Chinese automakers GAC and Dongfeng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Honda
The Honda e:NS1 is the second of two EVs for China, arriving next year.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

EVs developed in China will be exported to markets around the world, the CEO said, helping accelerate the automaker\u2019s global shift to battery power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EV shift will reach “all major markets”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ratio of EVs and FCVs within our overall sales in all major markets, including China, will be increased (to) 40% by 2030, to 80% by 2035, and then to 100% globally by 2040<\/a><\/strong>,\u201d said Mibe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Honda CEO said his company also will add new battery production capabilities along with its Chinese partner CATL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honda rapidly shifted its strategy on electrification since Mibe took over as president and CEO earlier this year from Takahiro Hachigo. The prior chief executive had been reluctant to approve a wholesale shift to BEVs and FCVs, preferring to continue with hybrids in the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Honda
The e:N is a two-door all-electric coupe, the e:N SUV is a battery-powered crossover, and the e:N GT a zero-emissions sports car. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A little help from my friends<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Honda\u2019s shift to battery power won\u2019t be limited to China. The carmaker is getting ready to roll out the first of two BEVs<\/a><\/strong> that will be produced in the U.S. market as part of a joint venture with General Motors. They will ride on the same new Ultium platform as GM vehicles like the Cadillac Lyriq, and use the U.S. automaker\u2019s Ultium batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeveraging strategic partners to achieve scale and mitigate initial investment requirements\u201d will let Honda bring a competitive battery-car to market sooner than it could on its own, Dave Gardner, American Honda\u2019s executive vice president of national operations acknowledged said during a June briefing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur zero-emission focus has begun,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subsequent Honda BEVs sold in the U.S. will use the company\u2019s e:N platforms. But, for now, the automaker has not said when they will debut or where they will be built.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Honda revealed a trio of new battery-electric concept vehicles that will anchor its shift to an all-electric future in China \u2014 and help it accelerate the transition to battery power in other markets, including the U.S. More from TheDetroitBureau.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":210367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8,5,10,2648,9],"tags":[2697,475,3125,3126,3127],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210368"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210368"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":210375,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210368\/revisions\/210375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210368"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=210368"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=210368"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=210368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}