Photo: carmagazine.co.uk
If you imagined a very near future in which the world’s entire car fleet was electric and probably autonomous, hold your horses for a few years more. Honda boss Takahiro Hachigo doesn’t believe either is going to happen anytime soon.
Speaking with industry publication Automotive News about the company’s plans for more electric vehicles and investments in self-driving technology, Hachigo explained that neither was a priority. This might sound strange considering the fanfare around the big unveiling of the very small (and rather expensive) e at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show, but Honda is thinking more along the lines of “hybrid” instead of “full-on electric.”
“EVs will not be mainstream,” Hachigo says. “The hurdles to battery electric vehicles and complete autonomous driving are still quite high.”
Honda’s plans include focusing on hybrid systems as a means to reduce emissions across its entire fleet, while providing customers with a reliable compromise: lower consumption and lower emissions, but without the limitations in range and long charging times. Hybrid vehicles are widely considered a stepping stone towards fully electric, an intermediary phase that should only last a second. Ideally speaking. Honda seems to believe that it’s the best of both worlds at this stage.
It’s not automakers who push for electric vehicles, but demand that drives up their numbers, Hachigo continued. And consumers would rather not buy electric right now because the benefits don’t override the downsides.
“I do not believe there will be a dramatic increase in demand for battery vehicles, and I believe this situation is true globally. There are issues with infrastructure and hardware,” he explains. “There are different regulations in different countries, and we have to abide by them. So, it’s a must to continue research and development, but I don’t believe it will become mainstream anytime soon.”
So, while Hachigo isn’t saying that EVs and AVs are a pipe dream, he does seem to recommend to temper your enthusiasm when it comes to them.
“EVs will not be mainstream,” Hachigo says. “The hurdles to battery electric vehicles and complete autonomous driving are still quite high.”
Honda’s plans include focusing on hybrid systems as a means to reduce emissions across its entire fleet, while providing customers with a reliable compromise: lower consumption and lower emissions, but without the limitations in range and long charging times. Hybrid vehicles are widely considered a stepping stone towards fully electric, an intermediary phase that should only last a second. Ideally speaking. Honda seems to believe that it’s the best of both worlds at this stage.
It’s not automakers who push for electric vehicles, but demand that drives up their numbers, Hachigo continued. And consumers would rather not buy electric right now because the benefits don’t override the downsides.
“I do not believe there will be a dramatic increase in demand for battery vehicles, and I believe this situation is true globally. There are issues with infrastructure and hardware,” he explains. “There are different regulations in different countries, and we have to abide by them. So, it’s a must to continue research and development, but I don’t believe it will become mainstream anytime soon.”
So, while Hachigo isn’t saying that EVs and AVs are a pipe dream, he does seem to recommend to temper your enthusiasm when it comes to them.
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