Alongside introducing an all-new minivan, Honda's president and CEO Takahiro Hachigo used his NAIAS 2017 appearance to underline a greater commitment to hybrid powertrains as a way for the company to hit its ambitious emissions targets without diluting driver involvement and fun.
"Gas prices have reduced demand for hybrid vehicles in the US. But in the long term, electrified vehicles are key to the future of carbon-free mobility," said Hachigo.
In recent years, Honda has been focused on pushing hydrogen power from the fringes and into the motoring mainstream, and in December, the first US deliveries of its Clarity Fuel Cell car began.
But it hasn't been ignoring hybrid power, and now that the Clarity Fuel Cell is on sale in the US, the Clarity name will become a sub-brand denoting cleaner electrified powertrain technology. "This year, we will debut the Clarity Electric and launch the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid in all 50 states," Hachigo explained.Also read: 2017 Honda Mobilio Facelift Unveiled
However, even with a choice of three Clarity cars, plus the hybrid Accord, Honda intends to boost energy options even further. "For the future, I set a challenging goal to make two-thirds of our global sales from electrified vehicles by around 2030," said Hachigo. "The Clarity series is part of this plan."
But it is about to be joined by an all-new hybrid car that will use a two-motor system similar to the one found in the Accord where it delivers a fuel economy of 50mpg.
That engine set-up will also make its way into Honda's pickups. "We will begin to apply the two-motor hybrid system to our light truck line-up," said Hachigo. "In fact, half of the all-new models we will launch in the coming two years will be electrified vehicles. So, you can call this our "Honda Electrification Initiative."
The extra focus on hybrids will happen alongside continued improvements in gasoline technology. Honda has recently moved to turbocharging to increase power while cutting fuel consumption, and it is now rolling out an in-house developed 10-speed automatic transmission. It makes its debut on the 2018 Honda Odyssey Minivan but will soon be an option across the company's vehicle range, globally.
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