Honda unveils surprising electric vehicles to compete with Tesla

Japanese automakers, such as Toyota, Nissan and Subaru, are slowly transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles to all-electric cars. But at the pace they are going, Tesla will have a huge advantage in sales for many years.

Toyota  (TM) - Get Free Report in May created a new unit call BEV Factory dedicated to producing entry-level battery EVs with a range of 620 miles. The Japanese automaker's goal is to roll out a full lineup of next-generation BEVs globally in 2026 and produce 3.5 million electric vehicles per year by 2030.

Nissan  (NSANY) - Get Free Report has committed to phasing out ICE vehicles in just a few years as the automaker's CEO Mokoto Uchida in a Sept. 25 statement committed to switching Nissan to all-electric in Europe by 2030. The company, however, has not said when it will stop selling ICE vehicles in the U.S.

Subaru on Aug. 2 revised its goal to target half its total sales, or 600,000 units, of all-electric cars in 2030. It had previously said 40% of sales would be all electric by then.

Electric vehicles coming from Honda 

Honda has been slow to enter the all-electric vehicle market, as it has focused on its hybrid vehicles CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid for its electric offerings. It has revealed that it will launch production of its new Prologue all-electric SUV in early 2024, and its affiliate Acura is teaming with General Motors  (GM) - Get Free Report to deliver the Acura ZDX, which will use GM's Ultium battery platform.

Related: Tesla rival Nissan commits all electric, reveals sporty vehicle

Acura unveiled ZDX at Monterey Car Week on Aug. 17 with two versions, the ZDX A-Spec single motor with 340 horsepower and a 325-mile range, and the ZDX Type S, with 500 horsepower and a 288-mile range, making it the most powerful Acura sports utility vehicle ever.

The Acura ZDX A-Spec will be offered in both single-motor, rear-wheel drive and dual motor all-wheel drive configurations and will have a starting price in the $60,000 range. The Acura ZDX Type S features a dual motor, all-wheel drive with a starting price in the $70,000 range. Presales will begin in late 2023 with deliveries expected in early 2024. It will also develop affordable EVs in the joint venture that will go on sale in 2027.

Honda said on April 26 that it plans to retool three of its manufacturing plants in Marysville, East Liberty and Anna, Ohio, for EV production and in 2025 will deliver its first mid- to large-size electric vehicles in North America, based on its original dedicated EV platform.

The three Ohio plants will become Honda's EV production hub for North America, as it plans to produce 2 million EVs annually by 2030 and increase its EV and fuel cell EV production to 100% globally by 2040, the company said at the briefing.

In early 2024, Honda will deliver its e:NS2 and e:NP2 EVs in China and by the end of 2024, it will deliver in China models based on its e:N SUV xù concept model that was unveiled in April at Auto Shanghai.

In Japan, Honda will deliver an N-VAN commercial-use mini-EV model in 2024, an EV model based on the N-ONE in 2025 and two small size EV models in 2026.

Honda will roll out a new electric sports car

Honda's latest plan is to showcase a variety of automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft and other products at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 beginning Oct. 25 in Tokyo, which will include a world premiere of an electric sports car concept model and a sustainable electric hatchback vehicle.

The new electric sports car "will enable the driver to experience the pure joy of driving (driving pleasure) and transcend the constraints of time, even in the era of electrification for carbon neutrality and the popularization of automated driving technology. The joy of driving and distinctive individuality of this model will enable people to transcend their everyday life," according to a Honda statement.

The carmaker will also introduce its Sustaina-C Concept hatchback vehicle that is made from recycled and reused acrylic resin which that statement said is "being developed to demonstrate the concept of transcending the constraints of the limited availability of resources through 'resource circulation' and becoming able to achieve both environmental sustainability and the joy and freedom of mobility long into the future."