GM and Honda will expand their existing tech-sharing partnership to develop a new line of affordable electric vehicles that will be based on a new modular global architecture, the two companies announced Tuesday.
In a press release, GM and Honda said they will co-develop the new series of affordable electric vehicles, which will be based on a new global architecture and will utilize the next generation of GM’s Ultium battery technology. Further details on the new affordable electric vehicle line were not divulged, however the press release indicated the series would include compact crossover models.
GM and Honda also said Tuesday they “will discuss future EV battery technology collaboration opportunities, to further drive down the cost of electrification, improve performance and drive sustainability for future vehicles.” This includes continuing to research new lithium-metal, silicon and solid-state vehicle batteries, along with production methods that can improve and update battery cell manufacturing processes.
GM chair and CEO Mary Barra said for the affordable EV line would be sold globally and will help speed up the global transition to EVs.
“GM and Honda will share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America and China,” Barra said. “This is a key step to deliver on our commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in our global products and operations by 2040 and eliminate tailpipe emissions from light duty vehicles in the U.S. by 2035. By working together, we’ll put people all over the world into EVs faster than either company could achieve on its own.”
The two companies’ working relationship dates back to 2013, when GM and Honda collaborated on the development of a new next-generation fuel cell system and other hydrogen storage technologies. They expanded the tech-sharing partnership in 2018 to include EV battery module development before announcing plans in 2020 to codevelop two EVs, including the Honda Prologue crossover. GM is also expected to build a new battery-electric Acura crossover on behalf of Honda at its Spring Hill Assembly plant in Tennessee.
Additionally, Honda is a backer of GM’s Cruise autonomous vehicle project and collaborated with GM on the design of the Origin robotaxi. Honda hopes to eventually launch its own ride-hailing service in Japan using the Origin.
“The progress we have made with GM since we announced the EV battery development collaboration in 2018, followed by co-development of electric vehicles including the Honda Prologue, has demonstrated the win-win relationship that can create new value for our customers,” Shinji Aoyama, Honda senior managing executive officer, said this week. “This new series of affordable EVs will build on this relationship by leveraging our strength in the development and production of high quality, compact class vehicles.”
This new affordable lineup of EVs from GM and Honda will go on sale in the U.S. in 2027.
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Comments
This was hinted to back when the SUV deal was announced.
Speculation then was GM driveline and Honda would provide the body structure. Chevy and Honda would do their own styling.
This will help reduce GM’s development cost and bring lower priced EV vehicles sooner. Also this will give GM a good small vehicle platform at low cost.
This gives Honda a top driveline but not have to mirage the company or merge with someone else. They will remain autonomous.
It is a good deal for both.
The all knowing C8.R! Why are you not on the board of directors?
It was written about in multiple auto mags. This site did an article, too
This all depends on how you define “affordable”.
GM is mainly a US-Chinese automaker that sells low margin cars in LATAM. Japan is a lucrative market, Honda has a beach head in Europe, is a small but deft company and either a deep alliance or even better merger between the two automakers makes sence as GM becomes vulnerable in China due to geopolitical changes.
GM & Honda are two of the best car makers and could do amazing things together.
I expect a merger eventually. Honda would fare better with EVs. GM would fare better with new markets.
Maybe, but wouldn’t that damage Hondas reputation quite a bit?
I suppose most people have no idea about vehicles beyond brand names though, so it might not matter.
I doubt they’d change the branding or name in any way. Honda will still be Honda and GM will still be GM, but Honda and others don’t have the competitive edge needed to enter the EV market. Many will have to merge or go under.
That’s why Honda is using gm tech.
Wrong
Hondas stated goal is to remain an independent company. They have no interest in a merger with anyone. These dealers with GM are about controlling cost so they remain independent.
BMW is doing the same with strategic for them to remain independent.
GM is strong enough to remain independent but if they can make money and save cost with partnerships they will do so when when it is in their best interest.
The only thing Honda needs is affordable EV tech. They can not afford the billions like other mfgs can.
Ah C8 your optimism has no limitations? You know all this how? More like Honda and GM, not the other way around! TM is so strong, please! They can’t even deliver vehicles, all the GM dealerships are big used car lots.
Richard P.
Not worth it. If GM takes over Honda, the Japanese will instantly stop buying Hondas.
Better the Japanese, than the chinese!
Bill: Why? If you actually think the Japanese are any different than Chinese, you are sadly mistaken. At least with China, you know what you are dealing with. The Japanese just smile and act all nice to our faces and then it’s a totally different story when we turn our backs.
Personally, I like GM and have for years. However, I am not happy with them jumping into bed with them nor any Japanese company.
Dan, when China gives us Covid again, at least you’ll know what your dealing with!
OMG, are you serious Bill? Now I know (with you) what I’m dealing with. Go put another tinfoil hat on.
You don’t think covid came from China?
Can’t help but tell you that you’re mistaken about the Japanese.
Japanese people and Chinese people’s cultures are miles apart.
Obviously, you have no business experience with Japanese folks.
I have!.
Yea you’re right Japanese and Chinese people are very different. They had conflict for centuries. During WW2 Japan and China were enemies, it was actually USA that saved China from Japan…… if it wasn’t for USA’s help, it’s possible that all Chinese people would be extinct today. Idk why Americans dislikes China, Chinese people love Americans.
For some reason, this article makes me think of the movie Kingpin where Woody Harrelson doesn’t have the rent money so he ends up sleeping with the not so attractive landlord lady, only to highly regret it when he wakes up with a massive hangover.
I’ve said it before and will continue to say it. I don’t trust the Japanese and having worked with Honda for 12 long years, I certainly don’t trust them as a company. Let’s just hope GM doesn’t wake up in the morning regretting this.
GM’s leadership is too stupid to regret anything!
Dan B
Tokyo Rose has been around for a long time. Unfortunately gm will end up on the short end of the stick. Greatest marketing slogan I’ve seen in my lifetime. “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.”
That is seriously one homely looking mess of a vehicle.
Interesting, because the Honda E has actually been widely praised as a beautiful little car by most of the auto sites.
Car and Driver: “The overall gist is that the cute-as-a-button EV is fun to drive, wonderfully designed, full of cool and weird tech, although it’s pricey for the amount of range you get.”
Now that they are working on BEV’s together, Is possible to get a rebadged Honda Civic as a Chevy Cobalt (just making up a name)? Since gm has decided to abandon the car market, this would help fill dealers lot and put a quality car for them to sell with little or no upfront costs. Owned a Chevy Prizm years ago and granted that was Toyota Corolla, was a nice little car.
The idea was earlier that GM would supply the power and Honda the platform but Each will design their own body and interior.
At one time Honda was expected to assemble the cars and GM the SUV models.
Not sure if that is still the plan but that was what was spoke of before.
Chevy Guy: you are implying that a Civic is a “quality” car and Chevrolet cars are not? I understand your point that Chevy has nearly no cars now, but thinking that a Civic is higher quality than a Malibu (very similar in size any more) is rubbish. There’s a reason why GM has been doing quite well in JD Power and even doing well with CR now. Honda has been losing ground at JDP over the past few years and has trailed Buick forever.
So I’m just not sure where you are getting that quality car thing from. From the looks of things, I think Honda would be the one to be benefitting from GM here.
Berning, why does a used Civic maintain its value in the used car market and not the Malibu?
No, I am just referring to the fact that gm has no vehicles in that market segment in North America and that is the size vehicle that I am looking for. BTW, I have a Malibu and I love it.
I looked it up and the Civic is only 9 inches shorter overall than the Malibu. So I understand what you are saying, but Chevy does still offer a car in that segment basicallly.
Mick1: Car values are directly linked to the amount you pay up front. When I was at the Honda dealer, they would sell new for higher than a comparable GM or Ford, etc. and that directly affects resale values. I just love how people like to attempt to brag on Honda and Toyota resale. Pay more up front, get more on the back end. In order to calculate true resale value, you don’t use MSRP of cars, you use the actual selling price of cars and compare that to the actual resale prices. I’ve run those numbers many times and the import brands do NOT have any actual higher resale value by percentage.
Dan i agree with you , one of the cars we own is a 2011 Cruze LTZ RS . We bough this new in 2011 with a dealer order.
I recently had the opportunity to drive a 2022 Nissan Sentra the same day as our Cruze , its was hard to believe the Cruze will soon be 12 years old and the Nissan was new. Let me tell you GM quality has been improving and has nothing to be ashamed of compared to the imports.
GM is not in the car market (a mistake) but it was by choice.
They had some very competitive small cars , Cruze , Sonic and Spark. They chose not to update them and compete in NA
We had a 2013 Cruze. After how many repairs do you say “poor quality.”
Mick1: will you measure you Japanese brand car by those same standards? I was at a Honda store and we had Buick, Cadillac and GMC as well. My very personal experience with all 4 brands, as well as working with several other brands over the years, is that Honda has/had as many issues and anyone else. Amazingly, those same Honda drivers would be very quick to bash on GM for anything. Yet when their cars gave problems, there was always an excuse for why it happened. It’s not that Honda’s are bad cars. No, they are average at best. What I highly dislike is the way Honda (and Toyota) does business and how they go through such pains to hide issues from the public. I also dislike the majority of the people who drive them as they always seem to defend their purchases no matter what issues they deal with.
So if you can and will truly measure your Honda Civic with the same point of view that you measured your 2013 Cruze, great. But why do I have the feeling you won’t. Oh, that’s right. Because I’ve dealt with that same bias for too many years.
This is huge. This is great news for anyone that is simply a fan of GM/Honda or a shareholder.
EV’s are way overpriced right now, the average BEV costs $10,000 or more compared to its ICE counterpart.
When they start making these new affordable EV’s with both GM and Honda working together, this is going to be a huge success, I just know it.
I’m not a huge fan of BEV’s and I love my ICE cars, but if we’re being real the future of BEV’s is unavoidable.
Makes a Vega look like a Corvette. What a non-descript box.
In my humble opinion the front end looks like an older VW Rabbit or Golf and the rear of the car reminds me of a French Renault.
So, GM is betting the farm on EV’s 8 to 13 years from now presuming that fuel cells, hydrogen storage technologies and hybrid advancement won’t become perfected and cost effective (maybe cheaper) by 2035, and, that all of us will ditch our “American big vehicles” for a little nondescript people’s electric vehicle?
And furthermore, GM’s presuming that sometime between now and then, that there won’t be a Conservative government elected that may well dispose of the many far-left global warming-climate change initiatives/dreams that exist presently.
If we can have a future with Hydrogen powered internal combustion engine cars, I would be extremely happy. Hydrogen is cleaner than BEV, because BEV batteries create a lot of pollution, and for the most part batteries are non recyclable.
In my opinion BEVs are temporary, until we find a better option. But there’s no denying that BEVs are going to take over gasoline ICE cars.
I’m curious just where you think the hydrogen is going to come from?
Also, you do know that a hydrogen car is still an EV with a (much smaller) battery, right?