As electric vehicle enthusiasm wanes and more buyers pivot back to traditional gas cars and hybrids, many automakers are doing the same. Honda has already hinted at slowing its roll on EV production, and now the Japanese automaker wants to go all-in on hybrids.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in a statement that hybrid demand is growing, as reported by the UK's Autocar. With that, the company aims to launch a new fleet of hybrid vehicles with the "world's most efficient" combustion-electric powertrain, the CEO notes.
The hybrid system itself will reportedly be slimmer and lighter than the current unit, with a rev range that's approximately 40 percent broader than it is now. The setup should yield efficiency improvements of around 10 percent, according to Honda.
As previously reported by Motor1, the company wants to launch 13 new models with its next-generation hybrid technology globally by 2030. North America is a "main battleground," according to the company, with Honda even aiming to roll out hybrid hardware on its largest vehicles Stateside—likely the Passport and Pilot.
Mibe, though, didn't officially confirm which Honda products would get the new hybrid powertrain first, but he did say that the setup would pair with the company's existing 1.5- and 2.0-liter gas engines. That means vehicles in the US like the Accord, Civic, CR-V, and HR-V could all be tapped for the updated hybrid setup initially.
That said, Honda isn't giving up on EVs entirely. The automaker will continue production of its upcoming 0 Series products, which include a new sedan and an SUV. Mibe noted: "We would like to see the battery EV business as a pillar of our business from 2030 onward."
The Honda 0 SUV and 0 Saloon EVs will both launch sometime in 2026, but the company didn't provide a specific timeframe for its new hybrids. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
