Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo wants to plot a new course for the Japanese automaker. He plans to simplify the product line, overhaul the production process, and re-align engineering resources to work on new technologies such as driver-assist features. However, EVs are not a priority. “I do not believe there will be a dramatic increase in demand for battery vehicles,” he told Automotive News this week
if you were hoping Honda would lead with BEVs, fuhgedaboutit.
The Japanese view BEVs as too resource-intense and imho under-estimate the impact of pollution on hundreds of millions of urban Chinese. They've been prone to doing that.
I view this as a negative for LYC. However I can't say anyone expected Japan to lead BEVs; for many years they have trod the hybrid road. I have an antique like-new Honda Civic EX just out of respect.
But back to LYC: The Toyota-Byd JV is far more important.to the EV revolution. Bigger even than VW, hard to say.
p.s. Recently Honda made its 400,000,000th motorcycle since way before I was born; now 20M per year. That's a lot of e-bikes should they fully commit. E-bikes and other such ultralights are markets that matters within the very small motor world of hand tools etc which require high content NdFeB PMMs.Honda CEO says ‘There will be no dramatic increase in EV demand’
