- Honda announced a next-generation hybrid powertrain that will arrive in 2027, which is intended to be less expensive to produce.
- A specific hybrid setup is being designed for large vehicles in the North American market, with Honda targeting “powerful driving performance” and “high towing capability.”
- Beginning in 2027, Honda will launch 13 new hybrids globally over four years.
It’s becoming a trend. Over the past several years, most automakers announced ambitious plans to convert most, if not all, of their lineups to electric power, typically with a deadline of around 2030. Now many automakers are backtracking on these plans, and Honda is the latest to declare a rethinking of its EV transition. In a press briefing in Japan today, Honda said it will launch a next-generation hybrid powertrain in 2027—including a specific system for large vehicles in the United States—and emphasized the importance of hybrids as it scales back its shift toward electric powertrains.Honda’s EV goals hadn’t been quite as bold as other brands, with the Japanese automaker originally aiming to have EVs represent 30 percent of its global sales by 2030. But even this mark is too high, the automaker now believes. Honda cites “uncertainty in the business environment” and “the slowdown in the expansion of the EV market,” which it says has been caused by “changes in environmental regulations” and “changes in trade policies of various countries.”Marc Urbano|Car and DriverThe hybrid system in the 2025 Honda Civic.While EV adoption hasn’t taken off at the rate Honda expected, the company is seeing strong demand for its current hybrid models and will invest even more in this segment. Honda plans to further hone its two-motor hybrid system, which will be paired with a next-generation platform that will focus on reducing weight and a new all-wheel-drive electric drive unit that will feature “highly precise and responsive motor control.” Honda aims for these advancements to lead to 10 percent better fuel economy than its current hybrid system.Specifically, Honda says that the North American market will get a new hybrid system meant for larger vehicles, which Honda says will provide “powerful driving performance, high towing capability, and high environmental performance.” Honda says this will be fitted to products that show up in the latter portion of this decade, and we think a next-generation Pilot seems like a likely choice. Starting in 2027, Honda plans to launch 13 next-generation hybrid models globally over four years, and these new hybrids will wear the simplified “H mark” logo that was originally intended for Honda’s EVs.The H MarkHonda also wants to make its hybrids less expensive, with a goal to cut the cost of its next-generation system by over 50 percent versus the system it launched in 2018 and by over 30 percent compared to the system that arrived in its cars in 2023. An expected increase in hybrid sales volume will contribute to this cost reduction, Honda says, as will more efficient production processes and the use of more common parts across models. HondaHonda still plans to launch the radical 0 Saloon EV in 2026.Honda also reemphasized its plans for a new advanced driver-assistance system that will be able to handle operations like acceleration and steering during an entire drive route, including both highways and surface roads. Honda says this new system will arrive in both EVs and hybrids in North America and Japan starting around 2027.More on Honda HybridsCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: caranddriver.com
