Honda may very well be reversing course on plans for an reasonably priced electrical car, and will even construct it within the U.S., in response to a brand new report by Nikkei.
The report says Honda plans to launch a small EV costing lower than $30,000 within the U.S., as early as subsequent yr. This new EV will even reportedly be U.S.-built, more likely to keep away from new tariffs on imported autos anticipated to be instituted by the Trump Administration.
Honda 0 Saloon prototype
The sub-$30,000 EV can be the smallest and least expensive of the Honda 0 Collection, set to comprise seven fashions by the top of the last decade, on a world scale. Honda not too long ago previewed what it mentioned have been the primary two 0 Collection fashions with its Saloon (sedan) and SUV prototypes at CES 2025.
At CES, Honda mentioned a manufacturing model of the SUV prototype would arrive within the first half of 2026, with the sedan following later within the yr. They’re going to be inbuilt Ohio, the place Honda already produces gasoline automobiles, alongside the Acura RSX electrical SUV and the Afeela 1 electrical sedan from the Sony Honda Mobility three way partnership. The Acura is due later this yr, whereas the Afeela is scheduled to reach in 2026 just like the Honda-branded fashions.
Honda 0 SUV prototype
American Honda declined remark relating to the report.
To arrange for mass EV manufacturing within the U.S., Honda is retooling three of its present vegetation and making a $3.5 billion battery plant. The automaker has emphasised all through that the combination of EV and gasoline-vehicle manufacturing is market-dependent, however indicated in 2024 that it will be capable to construct tons of of EVs per day at its revamped Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, doubtlessly surpassing all however Tesla’s manufacturing fee.
Whether or not a sub-$30,000 EV shall be among the many autos produced in Ohio subsequent yr stays to be seen. At CES 2024, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe advised Inexperienced Automobile Reviews that the automaker want to understand an reasonably priced EV “very late within the 2020s” and {that a} circa-$30,000 worth level would doubtless be depending on breakthroughs in battery tech, particularly solid-state batteries.
