All about Honda

Honda Motor announced on April 25 that it has reached a basic agreement with South Korea’s POSCO Future M on the production of cathode materials for automotive batteries in Canada. The two companies will begin discussions toward the establishment of a joint venture company which will produce cathode materials for batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) Honda will produce and sell in North America before the end of 2024.

・Based on discussion of a comprehensive partnership toward the realization of carbon neutrality which began in April 2023, the two companies had been considering the possibility of cooperating in the procurement of key battery materials, which resulted in this basic agreement. The purpose of this basic agreement is to steadily execute respective electrification strategies by ensuring steady procurement of high-performance batteries in the North American electrification market, where mid- to long-term growth is expected.

・The two companies will share each other’s strengths, such as high value-added material technologies and electrification technologies, to produce high-quality cathode materials to be utilized for EV batteries. This will enable the realization of high-performance EVs, which will lead to the acceleration of respective initiatives toward carbon neutrality.

Based on Honda press release

On April 25, Honda announced that it plans to build a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada with an approximate investment of CAD 15 billion, including investment by joint venture partners, to strengthen its EV supply system and capability to prepare for a future increase in EV demand in North America.

Honda is also in discussions with the governments of Canada and Ontario to receive incentives. Honda has begun the process of evaluating the scope of its investment. This work is expected to be finalized during the next six months and more details will be shared at that time.

As a part of establishing a comprehensive EV value chain, Honda will build EV plant and EV battery plant in Alliston, Ontario. The EV plant will begin operation in 2028 and have a production capacity of 240,000 EVs per year. The EV battery plant will have a capacity of 36 GWh per year.

In addition to securing the current employment level of 4,200 associates at its two existing manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Honda estimates it will add a minimum of 1,000 new associates for the EV and EV battery manufacturing facilities.

The proposed Honda EV value chain will also include a cathode active material and precursor (CAM/pCAM) processing plant through a joint venture partnership with POSCO Future M Co., Ltd.  and a separator plant through a joint venture partnership with Asahi Kasei Corporation, with announcements to follow in their respective Ontario communities.

Striving to realize carbon neutrality for all its products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda has set a goal to make BEVs and FCEVs represent 100% of vehicle sales by 2040.

(Honda press release on April 25, 2024)

On April 25, at the Auto China 2024 in Beijing, Honda exhibited and announced new information about the second set of Honda e:N Series electric vehicle (EV) models, the all-new e:NP2 and e:NS2, at the 18th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2024).

The all-new e:NP2 goes on sale today from GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (GAC Honda), a Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China. The all-new e:NS2 will go on sale from Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (Dongfeng Honda), another Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China, in June 2024.

The all-new e:NP2 features a linear and clear design, whereas the all-new e:NS2 features an emotional design that stimulates people who see the vehicle, each expressing a different smart image and vision for the future.

Both models are based on the e:N Architecture F, one of the dedicated platforms for the e:N Series. With the adoption of a high-capacity battery for the IPU (Intelligent Power Unit), the further advancement of battery control technology and a reduction of driving resistance, the all-new e:NP2 realized a range of 545 km (based on the CLTC standards).　

The interior design team strived to create a clean horizontal design theme for the instrument panel and a comfortable cabin space that envelopes occupants with high-quality materials. The Intelligent Heating System is adopted for the first time among all Honda models, which minimizes power consumption through various measures such as a cooperative control of the air conditioning unit and other onboard heating features. Moreover, It is also the first Honda vehicles to adopt an aroma system that enables the occupants to use the large-sized Display Audio or the available smartphone app to select their favorite fragrance and diffuse it throughout the vehicle.

The all-new e:NP2 and e:NS2 feature sophisticated and futuristic exterior designs that combine the excellent utility of SUVs with the sleek form of sedans. 

From Honda press release