Honda’s intention for an environmentally-friendly vehicles fleet was announced at the 2019 Geneva auto show. This intention does, however, include some hybrid cars (such as the newly launched the CR-V Hybrid) rather than every vehicle in its European portfolio being purely electric. With the array of electric vehicles these will include both plug-in and fully electric cars.
In an address to the motor show, Tom Gardner, Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe said: “Honda expects full hybrid technology to play a key role in meeting its aims of 100 percent electrification by 2025.” In doing so, the Honda executive also announced the Honda e Prototype, which is the company’s first production battery electric vehicle intended for the European market. The e Prototype is a more fully developed version of the Urban EV that Honda put on show at the Frankfurt auto show back in 2017.
The news does have a controversial backdrop. As part of the plan to go all-electric, Honda are to close its U.K. factory in Swindon from 2021. This move by the Japanese firm will lead to the loss of 3,500 direct jobs plus thousands more indirect roles, in relation to the network of suppliers and support firms.
In related news, and highlighting Honda’s ‘green’ credentials, tor the thirteenth year running, two of Honda’s Ohio automobile manufacturing plants have been awarded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR certification,. To add to this, a Honda plant in Indiana achieved this designation for the seventh straight year.
