General Motors and Honda have entered into a joint development project where the Japanese automaker will build two new electric cars on GM’s EV platform.
Although the interiors and exteriors will be designed by Honda, the new EVs will be built on GM’s flexible electric vehicle platform that will underpin many of its upcoming green models.
“This collaboration will put together the strength of both companies, while combined scale and manufacturing efficiencies will ultimately provide greater value to customers,” Rick Schostek, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., said in a press release. “This expanded partnership will unlock economies of scale to accelerate our electrification roadmap and advance our industry-leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
What this means is that the costs saved on researching and developing a unique and entirely new platform will hopefully be passed on to the consumer, a good thing for making electric vehicles more affordable.
Another big benefit to this partnership is that these upcoming Honda EVs will be able to take advantage of some other excellent GM technology like OnStar and Super Cruise, for example, which is one of the industry’s most advanced hands-free semi-autonomous cruise control systems.
Although other markets outside Canada get the adorable and retro-looking Honda E, that subcompact EV will not be offered here. As Canadian drivers continue to gravitate toward SUVs and crossovers, it would make sense if Honda was planning two electric CUVs, a smaller one possibly to compete with the Hyundai Kona Electric and one that’s perhaps sized like a CR-V or even a Pilot. Neither Honda or GM have confirmed any specs for the new vehicles, what they will be named, or even what bodystyles they will be.
Sales of these new electric Hondas are expected to begin in Canada in 2024, and the vehicles will be built at one of GM’s North American plants, possibly the Hamtramck Assembly Plant in Detroit. GM announced in January that it would invest US$2.2 billion to convert this plant to support electric vehicle production. GM’s upcoming electric Hummer is also slated to be built at this plant.
The only EV that GM currently sells is the Bolt EV, but the American automaker has many electric cars in its plans including the Cadillac Lyriq SUV and Celestiq sedan. Honda currently doesn’t sell any electric cars in Canada, but Honda’s Schostek said the two companies “are in discussions with one another regarding the possibility of further extending our partnership.”
