Honda debuted three battery-electric concept cars that it plans to turn into production models in 2024, marking the start of Honda’s broad shift away from its familiar gasoline and gasoline-hybrid vehicles.

The automaker plans to start phasing out everything but battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, CEO Toshihiro Mibe said during a weekend webcast. Honda will initially focus on China and will abandon internal combustion engines entirely by 2040, said the executive. Honda is the world’s fifth largest automaker by sales, 4.8 million in 2020.

“China 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,” Mibe said during an online presentation. Separately, Honda announced a more-radars, more-capabilities driver assist suite, Honda Sensing 360.
China is the world’s largest motor vehicle market and suffers from some of the world’s worst pollution. Beijing regulators have set increasingly stringent targets for “New Energy Vehicles,” and are reportedly considering an outright ban on internal combustion engines.

All told, Honda plans 10 new battery-electric vehicles for China over the next five years. That will include production versions of the three new prototypes. The e:N is a two-door coupe, the e:N SUV a battery-powered crossover, and the e:N GT a sports car. Honda plans two versions of its new skateboard-style electric vehicle architecture, the e:N F chassis for compact, front-wheel-drive models, with the e:N W for larger products with rear and all-wheel-drive powertrains.

All three – along with future BEVs and hydrogen vehicles – will be produced at two new Chinese assembly plants Honda will set up with partners GAC and Dongfeng. Those plants will serve as an export base helping back Honda’s global transformation into a zero-emissions manufacturer.

2030 Goal: 40% Battery or Fuel Cell
“The 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,” said Mibe.

It’s unclear which, if any, of the new BEV will come to the U.S., but Honda will launch its first two long-range models here by turning to another partner. They will be assembled by GM and are to be based on the same Ultium-battery platform used for products such as the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq. Subsequent U.S. models, Honda has said, will shift to its e:N architectures.You can read more in [https://www.wikipedia.org/]
about Honda.
Until recently, Honda’s electrification strategy called for a mix of different powertrain technologies, including conventional and plug-in hybrids. But the world’s fifth-largest automaker has shifted away from that approach since Mibe replaced former CEO Takahiro Hachigo earlier this year.

This leaves only Toyota, among Japan’s major automakers, still planning to stick with a mix of hybrids, hydrogen and full electric vehicles. But even the industry giant is putting more emphasis on BEVs, Toyota on Monday announcing a $3.4 billion plan to produce lithium-ion batteries in the U.S.

Honda and Toyota do have one thing in common: Both are among only a handful of manufacturers who see significant opportunities for hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles, along with South Korea’s Hyundai and Germany’s BMW.

How hard is it to get to 100% EVs? In the U.S., about 3% of vehicles sold this year be plug-ins: 80% electric cars, 20% plug-ins. If the take rate increases to 5% in 2022, shifts toward pure-electric, and increases by 5% a year, the U.S. would be 50% electric in 2030 and 100% electric in 2035.

Oh boy!!

This will definitely be a sweet ride!