At a media event held at the brand’s European research and development facility in Offenbach, Germany, Honda has outlined the next steps its European operations will take as it contributes towards Honda’s global target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Senior Honda stakeholders gave more details on the multi-pathway approach it is adopting, with a wide range of new products and services to be rolled out in the region. These include the launch of three new SUVs – the all-electric e:Ny1, alongside the hybrid ZR-V and CR-V (also featuring plug-in hybrid) – the introduction of the company’s first electric powered two-wheeler for the region, the EM1e:, and the significant broadening of the company’s energy management service, e:PROGRESS.
With the Honda automobile range already fully electrified, following the arrival of the latest hybrid Civic model last year, the event showcased both the breadth and ambition of the brand’s electric mobility offering as it enters this next phase of its European development.
“Europe is important to our business, and we have many loyal customers in the region driving our cars, riding our motorcycles, and using our power products,” said Katsuhisa Okuda, President and Director, Honda Motor Europe. “Today, we’re expanding the range of automobile products and technologies to the widest it’s been for many years. Furthermore, by evolving our offer beyond a product focus to also include energy services, we are laying the foundation for future electrification, whilst contributing towards our global sustainability targets.”
As a global leader in the development of mobility solutions that make customer’s lives easier, safer and more sustainable for 75 years, Honda believes the best approach to reducing global CO2 levels is through the deployment of a range of technologies and products to assist with the transition.
Evidence of which are the all-new ZR-V and CR-V, which offer both a full hybrid and, in the case of the latter, Honda’s first plug-in hybrid powertrain for the region. Alongside the all-electric e:Ny1, the brand’s second full EV offering in Europe, with a zero-emission range of 412 kilometres, this is the widest automobile line-up the brand has had in Europe for many years.
In addition, the event saw Honda announce further details of the EM1 e: electric moped, the company’s first electric powered two-wheeler for the region, which arrives in Europe later this year. Offering a more sustainable entry point to two wheeled travel that is ideal for younger or urban riders, it is one of at least 10 new EV models the brand is set to introduce globally by 2025.
“When we launched the new Civic last year, we achieved full electrification of our automobile range in Europe – making us the first Honda region to do so,” said Tom Gardner, Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe. “With the arrival of these three new SUVs, including our second EV, and our first electric moped, we are delivering against our commitment to sustainability and the contribution Europe will make towards Honda’s global transition.”
The breadth of Honda’s electrification extends beyond its latest products, with continued investment and broadening in scope of the brand’s energy management programme. Focused on the development of clean energy services, its projects include research into hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, alongside further charging and storage solutions that maximise efficiency and sustainability – the first real-world application of which is e:PROGRESS.
Already available in the UK, the cost-effective and sustainable at-home charging solution is built on clean energy and, with the launch of Honda’s latest SUVs, will be available to drivers of the new e:Ny1 and plug-in CR-V, alongside the existing Honda e. The second phase of the rollout will see customers able to harness solar energy within their charging eco-system. Finally, there are plans to expand the service within Europe, and to owners of non-Honda vehicles.
“At Honda, we believe in mobility and energy as a service, and our energy research programme is a test bed for how best to offer smart and sustainable solutions for both society and to our customers”, said Takehiro Wada, President, Honda R&D Europe. “Not only will these be of benefit to the environment and take pressure off domestic energy infrastructure, they will also deliver cost-savings back to our customers and further demonstrate the breadth of Honda as a full-service electric mobility company.”
SOURCE: Honda
