Only 1 In Every 3 Hondas Will Have Conventional Drivetrains by 2030

Tokyo, 26 October, 2017 – Honda predicts that only one in every three Honda vehicles sold will have the conventional internal combustion engine as its sole power unit by 2030, and is going all out to further its development in alternative and clean fuel systems. This statement was made by Mr. Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor Corporation at the 45th Tokyo Motor Show which opened its doors to the international media yesterday at the Big Sight in Tokyo Bay.

Honda’s Vision statement leading up to 2030 is to “Serve people worldwide with the ‘joy of expanding their life’s potential” and the company strategy is to “Lead efforts to realize a carbon-free society toward a free society”.

Translated to simpler language, this strategy means providing better and more means of mobility using products that are more environmentally friendly. Whilst Mr Haschigo does recognize that there are yet many hurdles to be overcome, he believes that ‘electrification’ will play an increasing role in the coming decade up to 2030.

Honda has been investing heavily in the development of hybrids, and in Japan, most of the existing Honda models already have a hybrid version. Next to be introduced will be plug-in hybrids, which are capable of longer driving range in EV (Electric Vehicle) mode, and can be charged off household power sockets.

Currently, the automotive industry is looking very seriously at vehicles powered by the fuel cell, which produces hydrogen – the hydrogen then burns to power the vehicle, and the result of combusting hydrogen is pure water – what could be cleaner than that?

Honda revealed its latest Clarity model at the Tokyo Motor Show – the Clarity will be made with three systems – as a plug-in hybrid, a fully electric car, and a fuel cell vehicle. The clarity will be made available for sale in Japan and North America from 2018 onwards.

Closer to home, Malaysia is considered a very important market to Honda, considering that our country is the ninth largest contributor to Honda’s global sales; the United States is the largest contributor, followed by China, Japan, Canada and Indonesia. In 6th place is India followed by Brazil in 7th place while our neighbour holds 8th place. You may ask me what is the significance of this – it means that our wants and wishes will be high on the list of priorities when it comes to product development.

However, it is unlikely that the Clarity with fuel cell will be available in Malaysia. Simply put, it requires governments and other organizations to work in unison with car makers in order to introduce such vehicles – in terms of costs, the fuel cell vehicles cost a lot more to produce, and government incentives will play a large part here. The other important element is the infrastructure to support not only the fuel cell vehicles but also plug-in hybrids and electric cars.

Honda has been working on the development of various technologies and products which will contribute toward the realization of a carbon-free society and making good progress in making its gasoline-powered vehicles cleaner and more fuel efficient. In the area of automobiles, Honda has been expanding the line-up of hybrid vehicles and will continue to strengthen hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV models from here forward. In time we can expect to see more of the Honda range of vehicles made available with these new drive trains.

At the 45th Tokyo Motor Show, Honda also exhibited several interesting concepts:-

Honda Sports EV Concept:
Honda staged the world premiere of the Honda Sports EV Concept, a concept model which combines EV performance and AI (artificial intelligence) inside a compact body with the aim to realize the joy of driving the user can feel with a sense of unity with the car.

Honda Urban EV Concept:
Built on a newly-developed dedicated EV platform, the Honda Urban EV Concept is a concept model which indicates the technology and design directions for Honda’s future mass-production EV models. A new model based on this concept will go on sale first in Europe, and then in Japan in 2020.

Honda NeuV:
The Honda NeuV is an EV concept model that explores the potential of mobility products which will be further expanded by automated driving technologies and AI. NeuV makes judgments about the driver’s state of stress based on facial expressions and/or tone of voice and provides assistance to the driver to support safe driving, and by learning the driver’s lifestyle and preferences, provides suggestions to the particular driver, realizing communication between driver and mobility.

Honda CR-V:
The Honda CR-V is an SUV model enjoyed by customers in more than 160 countries around the world. The line-up of this all-new CR-V includes a series-first hybrid model equipped with Honda’s original “SPORT HYBRID i-MMD” two-motor hybrid system, which will be available in front-wheel drive and 4WD variants. A 3-row seating type will be added to the line-up of the gasoline model. The all-new CR-V is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in 2018.

Honda Clarity PHEV:
Based on Honda Sport Hybrid i-MMD, the output and capacity of the battery were increased, and the EV range of more than 100 km was made possible. The Clarity PHEV, a new-generation plug-in hybrid model, features an exterior form with low vehicle height, spacious cabin that seats 5 adults and a large-capacity cargo area. The Clarity PHEV is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in summer 2018.

Honda RoboCas Concept:
The Honda RoboCas Concept is a small-sized electric mobility product created to make people’s dreams and ideas come true. Different types of carrying space with a canopy can be freely combined with a compact-sized vehicle body base which has a driving function.

Honda Riding Assist-e:
The Honda Riding Assist-e is an experimental motorcycle model Honda developed by applying proprietary balance control technologies Honda amassed through its research in the field of robotics. Honda’s aim for this model is to offer motorcycle riders greater peace of mind and make life with motorcycles more fun for people by mitigating the risk of a fall.