In less than 20 years, Honda vehicles with gasoline engines will be a thing of the past. By 2040, the Japanese automaker intends to offer only electric engines for its vehicles worldwide.
Honda president and CEO Toshihiro Mibe made the announcement at a press conference in Tokyo on April 23, his first since taking over the reigns of the company. Mibe said further the automaker will achieve carbon neutrality for all its products and operations by 2050.
To reach its target, the automaker intends to have 40 percent of its total sales in major markets consist of electric, battery and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2030, increase that to 80 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2040.
The company also confirmed that its first two production EVs, one a Honda and the other an Acura, will be launched in North America for the 2024 model-year. Developed jointly with General Motors, the two models with will run on the GM-developed Ultium battery.
In addition, a second generation of EVs based on a new platform called e:Architecture will follow in the second half of the decade. In order to ensure its competitiveness, the automaker says these EVs will be equipped with solid-state batteries.
See also: BMW Says It Will Have Solid-State Battery Vehicles By 2030
Finally, CEO Mibe also announced that Honda has set a goal of reducing traffic fatalities involving all future two- and four-wheel vehicles to zero, again with 2050 as the objective.
