Honda U.S. Execs Say They Can't 'Force' People Into EVs

“You can’t force the customer to change their mind,” said Honda’s U.S. CEO on the sidelines of the Monterey Car Week.

Honda Saloon Concept

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Aug 26, 2024 at 3:30pm ET

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Honda execs show the manufacturer's reluctance to go all-in on EVs even in spite of the company's pledge to invest billions in electrification.
The charging infrastructure needs to improve to make EVs attractive to a wider range of EV buyers.

Honda has pledged to invest $64 billion to develop seven bespoke electric vehicles, which it plans to launch by 2030 on its way to selling only EVs and fuel-cell vehicles after 2040. However, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus within the company that there is enough demand for EVs, which is reflected in its limited selection of available battery-powered models.

This is true for Japan’s home market but also for North America, where Honda sells two vehicles (the Prologue and the Acura ZDX), both of which are made by General Motors on the Ultium platform. Whenever Honda’s top executives come out to speak about selling fully electric vehicles, it always sounds like a mixed message that, in part, reaffirms the brand’s commitment to electrification while also suggesting it’s not yet convinced this is the way.

The Japanese bosses running the automaker’s American arm believe the still-lacking EV charging infrastructure is what is ultimately keeping most buyers away from going electric. The Drive quotes Honda US CEO Kazuhiro Takizawa, who spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the Monterey Car Week, who said, “You can’t force the customer to change their mind, really, and to some degree [you can incentivize] them but we just can’t force the people living in, say, the midwest, with no charging stations.”

Takizawa also noted that, in his (and presumably the company’s) view, “Even with incentives they will not change from ICE to BEV. I believe it will be very difficult to force people to go for it. We need to prepare the ecosystem gradually and let them migrate little by little.” He went on to say that Honda is closely monitoring the number of new charging stations going online, which is only increasing “gradually and steadily,” hinting that the EV charger rollout could be accelerated.

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Another high-ranking Honda America exec present in Monterey was its global executive vice president, Shinji Aoyama, who pointed to the fact that “the slowing down of the EV market is not unexpected because the more EVs are running on the road, the more rapid the change of the entire ecosystem for EVs.” He made it clear that Honda’s short-term goals won’t be particularly focused on EVs when he said, “Battery EVs are the most effective to reach carbon neutrality, so we will keep our long-term view, and we expect that this ecosystem will change step by step.”

Acura Performance EV Concept

Acura

That being said, Honda was present in Monterey to show two performance-focused concepts, one of which was fully electric, the Acura Performance EV Concept. This study shows what the future pinnacle of Acura’s electric lineup will look like, an SUV-like coupe with a long hood like that of a luxurious grand tourer, and plans for 2025 production.

Unlike the ZDX, the new Acura EV flagship will be built in the U.S. and it will be the first recipient of Honda’s new bespoke EV platform for larger vehicles.

We recently tried the Honda e:NY1 in Europe and it left us with mixed impressions. It shares its body with the European HR-V crossover, but it rides on another bespoke Honda EV platform called e:N e:N Architecture F, which was designed for front-wheel drive vehicles, but the vehicle just doesn’t feel as good as its many talented rivals in the segment.

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Honda’s first attempt at a mass-market bespoke EV, the Honda e, ended badly after the expensive short-range city car failed to strike a chord with buyers, and it was discontinued after only 12,500 were sold over three years. When we drove the Honda e a few years ago, we really liked it, but its two biggest issues (range and price) kept us from recommending it as a worthy buy in Europe right now.

Honda 0 Series

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Most of the seven new EVs from Honda will be crossovers and SUVs, which buyers seem to prefer these days. As Shinji Aoyama noted, where and how they charge their EVs is of crucial importance to buyers, and to make the prospect of owning a Honda EV more attractive, the manufacturer has partnered with EVgo and Electrify America to give its EV buyers access to over 100,000 fast chargers in the U.S. by 2030.

Honda sold almost 3,500 Prologue EVs in July, adding up to a total of just under 5,000 units since it was launched in March. Deliveries of its more posh and sportier brother, the Acura ZDX, started in May, and in June it sold 255 units. Acura has announced that it plans to add a fully electric NSX-like model to its lineup in 2027 or 2028. It may have been previewed by the Performance Electric Vision concept shown in 2023.

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