Japanese car manufacturer Honda is to embark on an ambitious £31 billion electrified strategy, with plans to launch 30 new pure-electric vehicles by 2030.
Honda has committed itself to an electrified future and is targeting annual EV production volumes of more than 2 million units, while introducing new solid-state battery technology.
The firm plans to end internal combustion engine sales by 2040 while aiming to achieve carbon neutrality 10 years later. It has committed a whopping eight trillion yen (£49bn) to fund research and development of hydrogen and swappable battery powertrains, while a further five trillion yen (£31bn) will be used purely for the development of electric technology and software.
Last month, Honda announced it would launch the e:Ny1 small electric SUV in Europe next year, while also declaring plans to build an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) craft and a multi-fingered robot.
In North America, Honda will launch the Prologue and Acura SUV in 2024, in partnership with General Motors. Three years later the car maker will usher in a range of "affordable" electric cars, with plans to open a new factory in North America.
Ten EVs will land in China by 2027, while Japan will get a small commercial electric car followed by a new electric SUV.
The car firm will also launch two all-electric flagship sports cars, which it says will "embody Honda’s universal sports mindset and distinctive characteristics".
At present the car maker uses lithium-ion batteries for its electric models, but is aiming to venture into solid-state battery production after pledging 43 billion yen (£263m) into the development of a new production line, with spring 2024 the target for it becoming fully operational.
Once its battery production facility is opened, Honda plans to build electric cars with solid-state batteries in the second half of this decade.
From 2026, the marque will look to introduce a new Honda ‘e:Architecture’ EV platform which will combine hardware and software technologies.
With its new e:Architecture platform, Honda says it is "striving to offer greater value" by bringing enhanced connectivity to its future EV models.
Honda said: “We will work on the establishment of the cross-domain connected platform, which will create new value for customers”.
The firm says by focusing on enhancing the connectivity of its vehicles, it will allow the car maker to ‘"ransform the portfolio of Honda business".
Honda recently announced it would partner with Sony to build new electric cars with the first model expected to launch by 2025, while the firm will also work with General Motors to produce more affordable EVs from 2027.
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