Honda has been saying for a while now that it plans to sell 30 new all-electric models by 2030. I don’t know if any of you have checked the calendar recently, but by my calculations, that’s six years and 25 days from now. At present, Honda’s global electric presence includes the not-for-North America Honda e, some joint venture stuff for China, the upcoming Prologue SUV with hardware on loan from General Motors and a few other stragglers. Just how does Honda think it’s going to accomplish that lofty goal, exactly?
We may get some answers to that $40 billion question in January at CES. There, the Japanese automaker says it’s going to unveil a “global EV series [and] several key technologies that illustrate the significant transformation Honda is currently undergoing.” A number of Honda executives will be at the tech trade show to speak to what’s next for the apparently electric future.
“Toward its global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda will introduce 30 new EVs globally by 2030 with a global sales volume of 2 million units,” the automaker said in a news release. “In North America, Honda has laid out an aggressive timeline of EV introductions leading to 2030 and ultimately to 100% zero-emission automobile sales by 2040, which includes battery electric and fuel cell electric-powered models.”
For now, that’s all we know. The announcement came with this cryptic teaser, which you can see above. It’s hard to draw any real conclusions from that image; it looks. to be some kind of sleek concept car with a sharply angled windscreen and a flat nose, if that’s the front end, and I think it is.
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Truth be told, it’s great to see Honda get serious about EVs—an area where all of the Japanese automakers are sorely lacking at present, much to the chagrin of their environmentally minded fans. (Honda’s even down to just two hybrids in the U.S., though a third is coming.) But of all of Japan’s car companies, Honda built its legendary reputation on a total approach to what you’d call “mobility” today—cars, motorcycles, scooters, lawnmowers, even planes and robots—and brilliant engineering solutions. If any of those car companies can come up with truly memorable entries in the EV space, I always thought it might be Honda. And it’s worth noting that Honda just scrapped its partnership for small, affordable EVs with GM, so whatever this plan is, it seems to be a solo act.
Now, things do seem to be looking up on the electrified front for Honda. It’s got more hybrids coming, including the 2024 Civic Hybrid and the all-but-confirmed Honda Prelude. (I’ve seen the latter up close and in person twice now, and if anyone thinks it’s just a “concept,” I have a bridge to sell them.) It’s also got more in the works for electric motorcycles and scooters; plans to re-tool its plants in Ohio and Japan for EV production; and the Prologue’s upscale cousin, the Acura ZDX.
Here’s hoping for positive and concrete news out of CES come Jan. 9. The world could use more great electric Hondas, and ones Americans can actually buy, too.
