Exclusive coverage! Global EV War Outbreak...What Will Honda Do?

Exclusive Coverage! Global EV War Outbreak...What Will Honda Do?

This year's theme is "Monopoly! Honda's way of life - the fight against 'decarbonization' 2". A long-term exclusive coverage of "Honda", one of Japan's leading manufacturers, as the trend toward decarbonization grows stronger! We pursued a new struggle to survive in the era of upheaval in the automobile industry.

Started in EV powerhouse China! Honda's new EV development

Honda will withdraw from F1 in 2021. The final race, the F1 World Championship final round, was held in Abu Dhabi on December 12th. At the "Honda R&D Center" in Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture, late at night, Honda President Toshihiro Sanbe and other employees will see how the race goes. From the beginning of the game, the situation is tough, but in the last week, a miracle happens...

Honda President Toshihiro Sanbe

Eight months before leaving F1, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to announce that it would end sales of gasoline engine vehicles in 2040 and focus on electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). F1 engineers will be sent one after another to the development site of Honda's next-generation "fuel cell vehicle" to accelerate the development speed. Automakers around the world are now entering not only new companies such as “Tesla” but also other industries such as “Hon Hai Precision Industry” one after another, and development competition is intensifying.

In Shanghai, China, the number of cars with "green license plates" indicating new energy vehicles such as EVs is increasing

In Shanghai, China, the number of vehicles with green license plates, which indicate new energy vehicles such as EVs, is increasing. This is because the "blue license plate" for gasoline vehicles costs about 1.8 million yen and is auctioned, while the "green license plate" can be obtained from the government for free. In China, where the EV market has entered a period of full-scale penetration, there are about 10 electric vehicle manufacturers, such as BYD, which started with cell phone batteries, and Xiao Peng, which was launched by an IT company owner. It is said that there are 300 companies. Mr. Wang (34), who runs a medical-related company, has a new car, an electric car from the emerging manufacturer NIO. I used to drive a petrol Volvo. Founded in 2014, Nio has already made inroads into Europe, selling its name as a luxury brand and being called the “Chinese Tesla” due to its innovativeness.

Nio already has more than 700 battery-replaceable stands in Japan

In China, where the number of electric vehicles continues to increase, congestion at charging stations has become a problem, but Nio has already installed more than 700 battery-swappable charging stations in the country. We plan to add more in the future.