Honda Australia keen on electric sports cars

Honda Australia has declared itself a candidate for two new electric sports cars the Japanese brand is promising to deliver among 30 EVs by 2030.

The sleek battery-powered sports cars were shown under wraps as part of a recent presentation to detail Honda’s massive EV commitment, which now totals $56 billion.

“If they make sense to us, we’ll be at the front of the queue,” promised Honda Australia director Stephen Collins.

However, Collins admitted there was a long way to go before Honda’s Australian division embraced pure battery-electric vehicles.

Honda’s first EV on sale in local showrooms won’t be seen until at least the end of 2023 and more likely 2024 as the brand renews its line-up. It’s a position fundamentally unchanged from last time Collins spoke publicly on the matter in September 2021.

The focus for Honda now in Australia is on hybrids.

A hybrid version of the new-generation HR-V small SUV launches locally this week and Honda will add a hybrid Civic hatchback around September this year.

A hybrid variant will also be part of a new medium SUV range to arrive here in early 2023, as well as the next-generation Honda CR-V family SUV and Accord large sedan by the end of next year.

That roll-out will clear the decks for a focus on EVs, which Honda is now starting to move on globally.

In theory, all 30 Honda EVs are available for Australian release, but that number will be quickly whittled down.

“There are a lot of factors that we are trying to puzzle together to land on what we are going to have and when we are going to have it. We don’t have all those answers today,” Collins admitted.

“The global announcement is 30 BEVs by 2030 and we will be looking at each one of those and what’s suitable.

“But the focus for the next couple of years is hybrid.”

The funky Honda e mini-car is on sale in Europe while the e:NP1 and e:NS1 small SUVs are now launching in China. The similar e:Ny1 launches in Europe in 2023.

A family SUV, two commercials and a mini-car are scheduled for Japanese launch by 2025. In the US, two EVs based on General Motors’ Ultium architecture will be rolled out in 2024. Honda and GM have also committed to building a series of cheaper EVs beyond that.

Honda will also co-operate with Sony on the production of its EVs and the has its own stand-alone EV model plans including a pick-up and two sports cars.

It intends to launch 10 EVs in China by 2027, produce two million EVs in 2030, assemble its last internal combustion engine by 2040 and be carbon-neutral by 2050.

“The global announcement about 30 BEVs ranging from commercial vehicles right up to sports car is under the Honda umbrella and that is what would be under discussion for us,” said Collins.

“We are working through all the options now. A lot of them are for the US market and other left-hand drive markets globally. I couldn’t tell you if 20 of them were left-hand drive or right-hand drive.

“What that looks like for us now is not super-clear into the next five, six or seven years.

“Also, a lot of the progress will be determined here by the pace at which the government mandates CO2 emissions. The industry has a voluntary system now, but policy uncertainty on that is not easy for any OEM to be talking about bringing the latest technology to this market.

“That’s got to play out as well.”

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