Honda last week announced key targets for sales of electrified vehicles in North America, with a plan to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles (BEVs and FCEVs) to represent 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040, progressing from sales of 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2035.

Honda and GM are jointly developing two large-sized EV models using GM’s Ultium batteries. Honda plans to introduce these models to the North American market as model year 2024 vehicles, one from Honda brand and the other from the Acura brand.

Starting from the second half of the 2020s, Honda will launch a series of new EV models which adopt e:Architecture, a completely new EV platform led by Honda. These EV models will first be introduced to the North American market, and then to other regions of the world.

In China, Honda will strive for a BEV/FCEV sales share of 40% by 2030, 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040. In China, the company has been introducing EV models while utilizing local resources; Honda will further accelerate this approach from here forward.

The company plans to introduce 10 Honda-brand EV models within five years. As the first of the 10 models, the mass-production model based on the Honda SUV e:prototype is scheduled to go on sale in spring 2022.

Honda SUV e:prototype shown at Shanghai 2021

Honda will also further pursue the utilization of local resources, which includes strengthening our collaboration with CATL for the supply of batteries.

In Japan, Honda will strive for a BEV/FCEV sales share of 20% by 2030, 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040. Including hybrid-electric vehicles, it will strive to electrify 100% of its automobile unit sales in Japan by 2030. Including the first introduction of an EV model in the K-car segment in 2024, Honda will continue making progress in the electrification of our mini-vehicles with both hybrid and EV models.

For the procurement of batteries, Honda will strive to realize a “local production and local procurement” approach in Japan, which also will contribute to the growth of domestic industries in Japan.

In the area of mobility services (MaaS), Honda aims to introduce the Cruise Origin, an electric self-driving vehicle Honda is currently developing jointly with GM and Cruise, in the Japanese MaaS market in the mid-2020s. With this aim, Honda will be starting development for testing in Japan from this year.

Honda is formalizing its goals for achieving carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050, as well as zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda automobiles and motorcycles globally by 2050.

Advanced Battery Technology. In order to ensure the advanced competitiveness of future Honda EVs, Honda also announced the goal to make all-solid-state batteries available for new Honda EV models to be introduced in the second half of the 2020s.

Honda is conducting independent research on all-solid-state batteries in order to increase the capacity and lower the cost of the next generation batteries for its electrified vehicles. Based on the success of this lab research, Honda will undertake the verification of production technology using a demonstration line, starting this fiscal year.

Fuel Cell Technology. Honda continues to view fuel cell technology as another pillar supporting the challenge toward carbon neutrality, with the expectation that hydrogen will become more widely accepted as a renewable energy source. Honda has a long history in the research, development and commercialization of fuel cell technologies, and while continuing its current collaboration with GM, Honda will strive to reduce costs and realize a “hydrogen society” by expanding its lineup of FCVs and by using fuel cell systems for a wide range of applications, including commercial trucks and stationary and movable power sources.

Renewable Energy Efforts in North America. Honda further commits to supplying its operations with 100% renewable energy and has begun taking steps to achieving this goal. Honda has entered into long-term virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) for renewable wind and solar power that cover more than 60% of the electricity that Honda uses in North America.

Honda’s combined agreements for the output of 320 MW of renewable generation capacity result in the purchase of 1.012 million MWh of electricity per year, offsetting more than 800,000 metric tons of CO₂e emissions annually, the equivalent of 100,000 US households worth of CO₂e emissions from household energy usage. These VPPAs enable Honda to fully offset the remaining carbon intensive grid-supplied electricity being used in its Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama automobile manufacturing operations.

In addition to the VPPAs, Honda has been a leader in the installation of onsite renewable energy, including multiple rooftop solar arrays generating 5,800 megawatt hours (MWh) annually at facilities in California and Connecticut, and two wind turbines producing 10,000 MWh per year at an auto transmission plant in Ohio.