{"id":35218,"date":"2025-11-06T14:52:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=35218"},"modified":"2025-11-06T14:52:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:52:02","slug":"ev-interest-waning-honda-is-going-all-in-to-be-the-next-tesla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/ev-interest-waning-honda-is-going-all-in-to-be-the-next-tesla","title":{"rendered":"EV interest waning? Honda is going all-in to be the next Tesla"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The U.S. auto industry is navigating tricky roads as manufacturers face stalled electric vehicle demand, rising tariff costs, and intense competition. But Honda Motor Co., which counts the United States as its biggest customer with 40% of global sales and operates four manufacturing plants in three states employing over 23,000 associates, is determined to maintain a steady course.<\/p>\n

In a wide-ranging interview at Honda headquarters in Tokyo, CEO Toshihiro Mibe said that the company remains on course for a fully electric future like Tesla Inc. and will continue to prioritize the United States for manufacturing investment.<\/p>\n

Among legacy automakers, Honda has been \u2014 along with General Motors Co. \u2014 the most forceful in its commitment to ending the production of internal combustion engines, a challenge the company calls its Second Founding. Long one of the world\u2019s premier ICE manufacturers \u2014 both on-road and on the racetrack \u2014 the brand gave a glimpse of its electric future this week in showcasing three near-production, so-called O-Series models at the Japan Mobility Show here.<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo<\/p>\n

Tokyo – The radical O Series Saloon wowed on stage at the Japan Mobility Show, but it will be made in Ohio for the US market.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n

Honda\u2019s push comes despite dramatic changes in the U.S. political environment, with EV sales slowing, Congress\u2019s elimination of the $7,500 tax break, the Trump Administration\u2019s rollback of emission regulations, and billionaire global warming financier Bill Gates\u2019 dismissal of a climate crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cElectrification now is a little bit different from what we were expecting before,\u201d said Mibe, who has previously projected that Honda would end ICE sales by 2040. \u201cMaybe (we\u2019ll see a) five-year delay as compared to our first expectations. And probably that means from 2040 on, the electrification will have to go faster. But as long as humankind has not abandoned efforts for global warming innovation, we have to keep up with our responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honda\u2019s mobility presentation at the Japan Show was striking for its parallels to Elon Musk\u2019s companies \u2014 not just in EVs, but in its commitment to a moral mission statement and the pursuit of reusable rockets.<\/p>\n

\"Honda<\/figure>\n
\n
Tokyo – Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe introduces the electric 0 Series lineup at the Japan Mobility Show.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

\u201cBefore making a profit, there is one important condition: whether something is \u2018right\u2019 or \u2018not,\u2019\u201d read a slide in Honda\u2019s corporate presentation on rocket development. \u201cWe think \u2018What can I do for society and for others?\u2019 Since its founding, Honda has driven technological innovation and product development fueled by this very passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

That passion, says Honda, has driven its Second Founding to address global warming. The commitment dovetails with Honda\u2019s belief that electric motor-driven technology is superior to ICE, and that customers will ultimately choose the former.<\/p>\n

\"Honda<\/figure>\n
\n
Tokyo – Honda CEO Toshihiro answers a question from media at Honda HQ.<\/em><\/div>\n

Sam Abuelsamid, Telemetry<\/em><\/div>\n

Both Japan and U.S. customers have proven resistant to EVs, but the company has forged ahead with electrification plans. The commitment is not dissimilar to that of Toyota Motor Corp., which aimed to pioneer hybrid vehicles 25 years ago with the Toyota Prius. Once a nerdy outlier, Prius today is the halo car to a hybrid-focused model lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonda has a long-term plan, but they are smart enough not to sacrifice their current profitable ICE vehicles to get there,\u201d said iSeeCars.com Senior Analyst Karl Brauer. \u201cUnlike some other automakers \u2014 Porsche, Dodge \u2014 you haven\u2019t heard Honda say they are sunsetting ICE models to make EVs. Honda is going to make ICE Civics and CR-Vs as long as there is demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Honda gave the media a sneak peek of its next-generation midsize sedan and SUV platforms \u2014 the basis for its best-selling ICE Civic, Accord, and CR-V models \u2014 at its Toshigi Proving Grounds.<\/p>\n

\"At<\/figure>\n
\n
Toshigi Proving Grounds – Honda’s next-generation platform for Civic and Accord ICE sedans.<\/em><\/div>\n

Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

Tesla has been the pioneer of EV technology, accounting for 40% of U.S. EV sales. But Honda is determined to catch Tesla with its radical O Series vehicles. First up, the O Series SUV in 2026, which looks like something that drove off the set of a “Blade Runner” sci-fi movie. It will be followed by the O Series Saloon, which looks like a Lamborghini sedan, and is due late next year. The third, the O Series Alpha, debuted on Honda\u2019s sprawling stage here in Tokyo.<\/p>\n

The SUV and Saloon will be produced in Marysville, Ohio, which Honda has dubbed its EV Hub. The sub-compact \u00a0Alpha will be made in India for Asian markets.<\/p>\n

The 43-year-old facility is in the midst of a major manufacturing upgrade, so it has the flexibility to produce EVs, hybrid, and ICE vehicles. The reconstruction is part of a $26 billion Honda investment in its U.S. operations.<\/p>\n