Honda to Electrify European Line-up Ahead of Schedule

Honda has intensified the implementation of its electrification plans for Europe by bringing forward the date when all of its European main models will come with e-powertrains – to 2022. Announced during one of the industry events in the Netherlands, the new deadline is 3 years ahead of the previously specified 2025.

The Japanese automaker is to launch 6 e-cars over the next 3 years in Europe, led by the recently released Honda Jazz model (it is hybrid only for the European market). The CR-V is already equipped with a hybrid drivetrain, as the NSX model is. The fully-electric Honda e-model will also hit the market in 2020. The Civic and HR-V are assumed to be next in line to get hybrid powertrains. The automaker plans to use its innovative global e:Technology branding for all of its future EVs.

Learn more about Honda’s electrification plans in Europe

The decision to advance the date of the electrification strategy implementation is motivated by the company’s desire to comply with 2021 environment protection regulations, under which automakers will be penalized, if they fail to decrease an average CO2 rate of their line-ups to 95g/km, in the shortest time possible. European governments encourage this environment-oriented initiative and plan to pay closer attention to implementation of this regulation. In Europe, the environment-related issues are taken very seriously, thus it is not surprising that European continent takes the lead in integration of electromobility in the automotive industry.

Honda's Energy Management branch has also received significant support, cooperating with European energy provider Vattenfall. It will allow the Japanese company to strengthen its technical capacity in promotion of EVs in Europe. This collaboration will allow the automaker to get the energy for EVs from renewable resources, making environmentally-friendly vehicles more affordable and attractive for potential customers by introduction of flexible energy contracts adjusted for EVs. At first, it will be put into practice in the UK and Germany in 2020.