Honda and General Motors to develop two new EVs

HONDA and General Motors have announced a new partnership which will see the two auto giants collaborate in developing two new all-electric vehicles underpinned by GM’s recently announced flexible EV platform.

Set to be powered by GM’s proprietary Ultium batteries, both vehicles will brandish Honda badges when they go on sale in North America sometime in 2024, with Honda said to be solely responsible for both the interior and exterior designs.

While no details at all have been revealed about either of the new EVs, we do know that GM plans to use the new platform to underpin sportscars, hatches, sedans, SUVs and pick-up trucks, with the new project being the latest chapter in an ongoing partnership with Honda which has primarily revolved around fuel cells and the Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle.

The two first came together in July 2013 to co-develop hydrogen-fuel cell technology before expanding in June 2018 to work together on ‘Cell Module Assembly’ and manufacturing efficiencies.

According to American Honda Motor Company executive vice president Rick Schostek, this latest collaboration would pool the strengths of both companies both technologically and in terms of production.

“This expanded partnership will unlock economies of scale to accelerate our electrification roadmap and advance our industry-leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

“We are in discussions with one another regarding the possibility of further extending our partnership.”

As part of the arrangement, Honda will reportedly be incorporating GM’s OnStar safety and security services into its HondaLink system while also leveraging GM’s hands-free advanced driver-assist technology into the two new EVs.

General Motors Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain executive vice president Doug Parks said the agreement builds on the proven relationship with Honda and “further validates the technical advancements and capabilities of our Ultium batteries and our all-new EV platform”.

“Importantly, it is another step on our journey to an all-electric future and delivering a profitable EV business through increased scale and capacity utilisation,” he said.

“We have a terrific history of working closely with Honda, and this new collaboration builds on our relationship and like-minded objectives.”

GM’s Ultium batteries are said to offer a variety of energy options from 50kWh all the way through to 200kWh, enabling an effective driving range of up to 644km and potential 0-100km/h times of just three seconds.