Honda is accelerating its plans to fully electrify its range, bringing the date three years forwards to 2022 and supported by the newly unveiled hybrid-only Jazz and new ‘e:Technology’ branding.
Announced just eight months after the brand revealed its Electric 2025 vision at the Geneva Motor Show, the revised plan will see all Honda’s European mainstream models electrified by 2022.
The new target, announced during an ‘Electric Vision’ event in Amsterdam, is based on the launch of six electrified models over the next 36 months, with hybrid Jazz now revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show and the fully electric Honda e leading the way and to be joined by an as-yet-unnamed further fully electric vehicle.
Tom Gardner, senior vice president, Honda Motor Europe, commented: “The pace of change in regulation, the market, and consumer behaviour in Europe means that the shift towards electrification is happening faster here than anywhere else in the world. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, we need to act sooner to meet these challenges head-on.”
He added: “This shift to electrification will change the face of our model line-up considerably. Our two-motor hybrid technology will be spread across the model range and we will bring further battery electric product to the market.”
The brand’s plans are being underpinned by new global ‘e:Technology’ branding revealed for all future electrified products in automobile, motorcycle and power product ranges. The branding will be tweaked for cars to suit different powertrains; for hybrids, ‘e:HEV’ branding will be used, standing for ‘Hybrid Electric Vehicle’ and debuting on the new Jazz.
Honda is also pushing its energy management technologies in line with its ‘Electric Vision’ and the Amsterdam event heralded an announcement that it’s teamed up leading European energy supplier Vattenfall sign Letter of Intent to introduce flexible energy contracts, utilising renewable energy and tailored specifically for EV users – including drivers of other brands of EVs.
The two companies will jointly develop and market a flexible energy contract that will allow EVs to be charged at the most cost-effective times, relative to grid demand. The tariffs also promote the use of electricity generated through renewable sources including hydropower and wind farms, realising Honda’s vision for sustainable future energy supply. This service will initially be launched in the UK and Germany in 2020, with other European countries to follow.
In the longer term, Honda’s plans for its Energy Management Business in Europe cover the use of domestic power chargers, urban charging solutions, commercial energy services and advanced vehicle to grid (V2G) technology.
