Honda CEO admits Chinese electric car makers are far ahead, but says they will respond with aggressive electrification plans
Honda has outlined plans to further accelerate its electrification journey, saying it is paramount to catching up with the competition. Admitting to be lagging behind in the electric car race, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the automaker was surprised by the series of Chinese electric vehicles on display at Auto Shanghai 2023.
“They are ahead of us, even more than expected. We are thinking how to fight back. Otherwise, we will lose this contest. We realize we’re falling a bit behind, and we’re determined to turn the tables,” he said at the automaker’s annual business press conference late last week, like car news report.
He said Honda executives did not expect that so many local brands would flood the showroom with such advanced electric vehicles. Honda displayed 3 electric SUV models at the event Prototypes e:NS2 and e:NP2will go on sale in China in early 2024, as well as e:N SUV concept, where a production version is slated for late 2024.
Mibe said it was clear that Chinese automakers had made great strides during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the world was largely cut off from China by travel restrictions and quarantines. Honda COO Shinji Aoyama echoes Mibe’s comments. “We were overwhelmed by the Chinese,” he said.
In response, the automaker said it will launch a new range of all-electric models in key markets such as the US, China and Japan, with much of the activity set to accelerate from 2025. The company also reiterated its ambition to produce more than two million EVs per year by 2030.
The first models in the US will be Honda’s Prologue And Acura ZDXboth are underpinned by GM The Ultium Platformin 2024. A mid- to large-sized EV model based on Honda’s original dedicated EV platform will go on sale there in 2025. The company says it’s ramping up further. alliance with GMco-developed a range of affordable electric vehicles to go on sale in 2027 and beyond, and continues to explore a variety of collaborative themes.
In Japan, an electric vehicle model based on Do not have will go on sale in 2025 and two small EV models, including an SUV, will enter the market in 2026. As for the three China-only models mentioned earlier, they will form part of the 10 new EV models will be introduced in that market by 2027.
The automaker is also planning to ramp up operations in the battery sector. Going forward, this will involve sourcing batteries from GM for models in the US, CATL for their products in China, and Envision AESC for models sold in the domestic market. .
It is also delving deeper into research and production in this area. This includes investing in and co-developing semi-solid batteries with SES AI Corporation and collaborating with GS Yuasa on high-capacity, high-performance liquid lithium-ion batteries. It said it plans to have a demonstration line to produce all-solid-state batteries running by 2024, with market introduction sometime in the second half of the decade.
The company is also working with trading company Hanwa to ensure stable procurement of key elements such as nickel and cobalt in the medium and long term, adding that it is also exploring ways to use the resource. future battery recycling.
The automaker said software and electronics will also be an area of focus. It is developing an initial vehicle operating system with the aim of applying the system starting from mid- to full-size electric vehicles to the US market by 2025, and it is also expanding research and development. development in the areas of autonomous driving/driver-assisted advanced systems and connected services.
