By Paul Lienert
(Reuters) – Honda Motor Co plans to build millions of electric vehicles (EV) by 2030 using three new dedicated platforms, with one to be jointly developed with U.S. partner General Motors Co, a top executive at the Japanese automaker said.
Shinji Aoyama, Honda’s global head of electrification, told Reuters on Thursday the firm will introduce an electric mini commercial vehicle in Japan in 2024, built on a new small EV platform. This will be followed by full-size electric model in North America in 2026, on a new large platform.
Both platforms will be used for other models.
Speaking in a video call, Aoyama said a third platform, which he described as “medium size”, will be shared with General Motors, starting in 2027.
The two companies in early April said they would jointly develop “affordable electric vehicles” for global markets, but released few other details.
“Whether they will be based on Honda’s architecture or on GM’s platform has not been decided,” Aoyama said.
“We have not decided which plants (or) what will be produced,” he added. “But we are going to share the bill of process” for manufacturing “to enable the cars to be produced at either” Honda or GM plants.
GM is building two premium electric SUVs for Honda in North America, starting in 2024, based on the dedicated EV platform that underpins GM’s Cadillac Lyriq.
Aoyama said Honda has agreed to use GM’s next-generation Ultium battery, though the specifications have not been finalized. But the Japanese automaker has no plans to participate in GM’s Ultium battery joint venture with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, he said.
Honda has said it plans to build two million electric vehicles globally by 2030, including the mid-size models being developed with GM.
Aoyoma said Honda is targeting North American production of 750,000-800,000 electric vehicles in 2030, and about the same in China, with another 400,000-500,000 in Japan and other markets.
(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
