Honda said that they attach great importance to the partnership with General Motors and will maintain cooperation on low-cost electric vehicles in the future. By the end of the 20s, they will join forces to launch more Ultium-based Prologue SUV sister models.
“The alliance with GM is a great weapon for us,” Toshihiro Mibu, Honda’s chief executive, president and executive director, summed up his thoughts in these succinct words during a roundtable discussion with the media last week.
When it comes to the company’s transition to zero-carbon emissions, Toshihiro Mibu and senior managing executive Shinji Aoyama both praised the merits of Honda’s partnership with GM, whether it’s based on Ultrum’s 2024 Prologue electric SUV, or a joint venture between the two auto giants. Future products of the developed platform.
“We believe that overall cooperation is mutually beneficial, not only with the (vehicle) platform but also with procurement and procurement,” said Qingshan. “Cooperation is the future.”
While the 2024 Honda Prologue is said to be largely built on GM technology — its Ultium platform and battery are shared with the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq and 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV — the companies’ next joint venture could have More Honda DNA.
Honda said it will launch an electric vehicle in 2027 that will start at less than $30,000 and will feature more intelligence sharing between GM and the Japanese automaker. The new project, codenamed AEV (Affordable Electric Vehicle), will feature the best of each respective brand.
“Honda and GM both have enough technology to make (our own cars),” Aoyama said. “So now engineers from both entities are disclosing the technologies we have and then trying to discuss which technologies are optimal for both parties.”
This seems to imply that the AEV project may be an entirely Honda-sourced design, although it is more likely that both parties contribute their own specific components.
Plus, their collaboration isn’t just limited to the cars themselves. Both GM and Honda are evaluating their logistics and production facilities to determine the most efficient way to obtain the materials, labor and space needed to produce entry-level electric vehicles. It’s part of the two companies goals to be carbon neutral by 2040 for GM and 2050 for Honda.
“From now on, it will be a whole from procurement and materials to resource recycling,” Aoyama said. “We have to achieve everything in this range, not just pure electric vehicles.”
General Motors and Honda said in April that they were planning to jointly develop some low-cost electric vehicles based on GM’s next-generation Ultium battery technology. The models will include a compact crossover that is expected to go on sale in North America starting in 2027.
Doug Parks, GM’s executive vice president of global product development, said the company plans to launch an electric vehicle that costs less than a Chevrolet Equinox tram.
