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

In making the announcement, Mibe said that Honda sees the reduction of the company’s environmental impact and realization of safety initiatives to protect human lives as the two major challenges facing the company.

Accordingly, 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.

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.

Battery technologies

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

Due to regional differences such as the level of customer acceptance, the readiness of infrastructure and availability of renewable energy, it is difficult to adopt a singular approach to the popularization of electrified vehicles globally.

In all major markets for electrification, Honda will increase the ratio of battery-electric (EV) and fuel cell electric (FCV) vehicles within overall unit sales combined to 40% by 2030, to 80% by 2035, and then to 100% globally by 2040.

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.

Fuel cell technology

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 aim 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 stationery and movable power sources.

Honda also will work to expand utilization of renewable energy by enabling infrastructure-linked smart power operations when charging these products.

The company further commits to supplying its operations with 100% renewable energy and has begun taking significant steps to achieve this goal.

Seeking to reduce CO2 emissions from its North American manufacturing operations, 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 MWhof electricity per year, offsetting more than 800,000 metric tons of CO2e emissions annually, the equivalent of 100,000 U.S. 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.

Safety initiatives

Since many motorcycle collision fatalities involve automobiles, Honda will apply its omnidirectional ADAS to all new automobile models the company introduces in major markets by 2030.

Among other initiatives, Honda is also working to reduce the environmental impact of its business operations and promotes environmentally responsible business practices with its suppliers and retail dealer partners across North America.