Honda will end combustion engine production by 2040 as it embarks on a broad campaign to achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050 and advance the development of its zero-emission powertrain solutions.
Company President Toshihiro Mibe detailed a series of ambitious goals at a press conference in Japan today, where he solidified the brand’s commitment to leading “the breakthroughs that will be made in fields of mobility, powertrain, energy and robotics “.
By 2050, Honda aims to achieve carbon neutrality for “all company products and activities,” which will see it focus primarily on developing environmentally friendly powertrains and overhauling its fuel chain. ‘sourcing to ensure products are’ made from 100% sustainable materials’.
The brand had already confirmed that it would exclusively offer electrified passenger cars in Europe by the end of 2022, but is now consolidating its global electrification strategy for the years to come. By 2030, Honda projects that 40% of its sales will be pure electric or fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs), rising to 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040.
Specific targets for the European market have not yet been fully detailed, but a strategic partnership with General Motors will accelerate electrification efforts in North America, while a total of 10 new electric vehicles bearing the Honda badge will be launched on the Chinese market “within five years”. – the first of which will be the production version of the e: prototype presented in Shanghai last week.
Honda has also confirmed that in the second half of the decade, it will launch a line of electric vehicles on its new “e: Architecture” platform. The models will arrive in the United States first, before being rolled out to other regions, possibly including Europe.
The Cruise Origin autonomous electric vehicle, jointly developed by Honda and GM, will begin testing later this year and is expected to hit the Japanese market in the mid-2020s. The partnership will also help Honda expand its FCEV lineup.
To “ensure the high competitiveness” of its next-generation electric vehicles, Honda is also researching the viability of solid-state batteries – which offer increased capacity compared to conventional lithium-ion units – and anticipates that the technology will arrive. in production vehicles in the second half of the 2020s.
The goal of the press conference was also to eradicate fatal collisions involving Honda motorcycles and cars by 2050. With this in mind, Honda has pledged to include “omnidirectional ADAS” systems on all models launched in the press conference. “developed countries” by 2030, and improve the intelligence of its advanced driving aids.
Overall, the maker will invest the equivalent of £ 33.5 billion in research and development over the next six years – and it has pledged to take “the necessary steps, including alliances” as quickly as possible.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-23 13:38:27
