Honda causes a shock: “Electric cars are not our goal”
The Honda CR-V E: FCEV, a fuel cell SUV and rechargeable battery, embodies the brand’s multi-energy strategy. © Honda
While many manufacturers bet everything on electric, Honda adopts a more nuanced tone. The objective is not the battery car in itself, but carbon neutrality by 2050. And to achieve this, the group explores several tracks: fuel cells, thermal engines operating in hydrogen or synthetic fuels. A discourse which contrasts with the dominant trend, but which is based on a lucid observation: without adapted infrastructure, certain solutions will remain at neutral.
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Honda defends a plural approach to reach carbon neutrality
Honda recently reduced its ambitions in terms of 100 % electric vehicles, reducing 30 % investment envelope initially set at 10,000 billion yen for electrification. The objective displayed, once set at 30 % all-electrical sales by the end of the decade, has also disappeared from radars.
Battery electric vehicles are not the goal, but a path to carbon neutrality – not necessarily the only path.
Among these alternatives, Honda relies on hydrogen fuel cells, like the CR-V E: FCEV, a rechargeable hybrid combining a hydrogen battery and a 17.7 kWh battery for around 47 km of electricity.
Our goal is carbon neutrality, not the battery car. It is the most obvious short and medium -term path, but we will also develop other technologies.
Honda is not alone on this path. Toyota and Hyundai continue their hydrogen projects, while BMW plans a fuel cell model for 2028 in partnership with Toyota. Others, Like Stellantis, have turned the page, judging the too limited segment.
Hydrogen, synthetic fuels… Honda puts on several fronts facing all-electric
The Japanese giant also sees potential in synthetic fuels and hydrogen thermal motors. Toyota, Mazda and Subaru work on blocks capable of operating with liquid hydrogen, biofuels or carbon synthetic fuel.
The Honda E, an electric city car with a striking style, did not find its audience despite a conclusive test on our part. © Numériques
But reality slows down these ambitions: hydrogen infrastructure remains embryonic, with only 1,160 stations worldwide at the end of 2024, and that of synthetic fuels is almost nonexistent. During this time, Sales of electric cars progress quicklyalready representing more than 20 % of the world market and 17.5 % of registrations in Europe in the first half of 2025.
We believe that at the moment, even if electric battery vehicles gain ground and that we talk a lot about them, in fact, it is the hybrids that represent the choice of consumers.
It remains to be seen whether the technological diversification advocated by Honda will be a winning bet … or a dispersion in a market which could well continue to switch massively to the battery.
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