Detroit, MI/Tokyo, JP – GM and Honda have announced intentions to take their partnership to the next level by co-developing a line of affordable electric vehicles based on a new global design and next-generation Ultium battery technology.
The two businesses are collaborating to enable the global manufacture of millions of electric vehicles, particularly tiny crossovers, starting in 2027, by combining their technology, design, and sourcing methods.
They’ll also aim to standardize equipment and processes to attain world-class quality, increased throughput, and lower costs. With yearly volumes of more than 13 million vehicles, the compact crossover market is the world’s largest.
In addition, GM and Honda will examine future EV battery technology collaboration potential to lower the cost of electrification, increase performance, and ensure future vehicle sustainability.
GM is already striving to advance new technologies such as lithium-metal, silicon, and solid-state batteries, as well as manufacturing methods oriented to quickly upgrade and update battery cell manufacturing processes.
Honda is making headway with its all-solid-state battery technology, which it regards as a key component of future electric vehicles. Honda has set up a demonstration line for all-solid-state batteries in Japan and is moving closer to mainstream manufacturing.
A tight relationship
“GM and Honda will share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America and China,” said Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO. “This is a key step to deliver on our commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in our global products and operations by 2040 and eliminate tailpipe emissions from light duty vehicles in the U.S. by 2035. By working together, we’ll put people all over the world into EVs faster than either company could achieve on its own.”
“Honda is committed to reaching our goal of carbon neutrality on a global basis by 2050, which requires driving down the cost of electric vehicles to make EV ownership possible for the greatest number of customers,” said Toshihiro Mibe, Honda president & CEO. “Honda and GM will build on our successful technology collaboration to help achieve a dramatic expansion in the sales of electric vehicles.”
Over the years, GM and Honda have maintained a close working partnership, with several recent initiatives focusing on electric and autonomous car technologies.
The two companies started collaborating in 2013 on the development of next-generation fuel cell technology as well as hydrogen storage technologies. Honda joined GM’s efforts to create electric vehicle battery modules in 2018.
In 2020, GM and Honda announced intentions to collaborate on two electric vehicles, including the Honda Prologue, which will debut in early 2024, and Acura’s first EV SUV.
Furthermore, the companies have a long-standing partnership with Cruise and are collaborating on the Cruise Origin, one of the first purpose-built fully autonomous cars meant for driverless ride-hailing and delivery.
Noticias Newswire
