Honda Partners With GM To Develop Affordable EVs

Honda is charging ahead with its plans to create affordable electric vehicles by expanding their business ties with GM. The two companies have confirmed plans to co-develop a new series of budget-friendly green vehicles expected to launch as early as 2027. Using each brand’s technology, design, and sourcing strategies, they aim to drive down the cost of electric vehicle ownership to make going green a reality for as many customers as possible. 

Honda originally announced their partnership with GM in 2018, when they joined GM’s EV battery module development efforts, bringing a fresh perspective to their next-generation Ultium battery technology research. Two years later, the pair reported they would be bringing two brand-new EVs to the market under the Honda brand umbrella - the 2024 Honda Prologue, followed by Acura’s first EV SUV. 

In the long run, Honda’s newly strengthened partnership with GM will keep them on schedule to achieve their goal of carbon neutrality for all products by 2050, while helping each company to improve and optimize battery cell manufacturing processes for mass-market production. Ultimately, the duo aims to introduce a new era of affordable and sustainable EVs. “By working together, we’ll put people all over the world into EVs faster than either company could achieve on its own,” says Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO. 

In a recent briefing of Honda’s future strategy for electrification, the brand revealed they plan to launch 30 EV models globally by 2030, with production volume of more than two million units annually. Honda also aims to position itself as a source of "power" for other environmentally-savvy businesses, understanding “that a multifaceted and multidimensional approach is needed, not a mere replacing of engines with batteries.” The brand is preparing to offer a variety of energy-efficient solutions, including swappable batteries and hydrogen fuel, in addition to the electrification of automobiles.