Honda CEO denies electric cars, pledges hybrid support: ‘EVs will not be mainstream’

In a meeting that was surprising, Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo revealed that he does not believe in the adoption of automobiles. That is why he noted that Honda will soon be focusing its efforts to cars. This, according to Honda, is a more realistic way of approaching EVs.  

While talking with Automotive News at Honda Motor Co.’s global headquarters in Tokyo, Hachigo said that battery-electric cars still have a lot of hurdles to experience. Addressing other automakers that are going the Honda CEO noted that there s a chance companies are getting too optimistic about EVs, or even initiatives for that matter. 

“The hurdles to battery powered vehicles and autonomous driving are still fairly large. I don ’ t know if other producers are getting to be optimistic or not, but apparently in moving about these regulations, the approach differs from 1 company to the next. 

Hachigo’s statements are intriguing, considering that Honda is planning to launch its very own all-electric automobile, the Honda email. The e was received warmly by the electric vehicle community, though based on the CEO’therefore claims, and the fact that the automobile will not be sold worldwide, it appears that the vehicle might just be little more than a compliance car. Hachigo later noted that he does not think that EVs will see a dramatic rise in demand. 

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“I do not think there will be a dramatic rise in demand for battery life vehicles, also I believe this scenario is true worldwide. There are problems with infrastructure and hardware. There are different regulations in different countries, and we have to abide by them. But I don’t believe it will get mainstream soon,” he added. 

In terms of innovative driver-assist technologies like Tesla’s Autopilot, the CEO has been quick to comment that Honda has developed its own alternatives. It must be said that back in 2017, Honda announced plans to roll out a street method by 2020 along with also a Level 4 self-driving solution by 2025. 

Nevertheless, since these statements, Honda was very quiet regarding the development of its projects, with Hachigo declaring last month that the company does not actually have any horizon as for the introduction of Level 3 automatic systems. Rather, the company has decided build more features into its Honda Sensing system, which uses features like lane-keep aid caution and automated emergency braking across the street. 

For the time being, Honda is going towards a potential business change from the auto market on its own. Unlike Japanese carmakers like Toyota and Mitsubishi, Honda continues to operate. This has allowed the company to make its own decisions without considering a partner’s perspectives, though it also meant that the firm ’s share of the sector is far more compact than its Japanese rivals. In the past financial year, as an example, Honda sold 5.3 million vehicles globally. The amount is impressive, but it is only half of the earnings of conglomerates like the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance or Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and Suzuki.

The article Honda CEO denies electric cars, pledges hybrid support: ‘EVs will not be mainstream’ appeared initially on TESLARATI.

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