Honda to launch 10 EVs in China in 5 years

Honda is to launch 10 electric car models in China in five years as part of its global electrification campaign, said the Japanese carmaker on Wednesday.

The first two models, which will be SUVs, will go on sale from early 2022 at its two joint ventures GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda.

They will be the first Honda-branded electric vehicles in China. The two joint ventures have been producing and selling electric models for years but they don't bear Honda's logo.

Honda also unveiled three concept electric models on Wednesday whose volume production will start in five years.

The carmaker said dedicated spaces for its electric cars will be created at its approximately 1,200 dealerships around China. It is planning to launch dedicated electric car dealerships in major cities of the country, but did not give a schedule.

The carmaker said GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda will build dedicated electric car plants which are scheduled to start production in 2024.

The two joint ventures will produce electric models for other markets as well, said the carmaker.

Honda said it will accelerate collaboration with Chinese battery producer CATL to ensure battery supplies for its massive electrification campaign in the country.

The Japanese carmaker also said it will no longer introduce any new gasoline-powered models in China after 2030, which means all new models will be electric cars and hybrids.

In April, Honda announced its electrification target, aiming to increase the ratio of electric cars and fuel cell vehicles in major markets including China to 40 percent of its total sales by 2030.

The figure would rise to 80 percent by 2035, and then to 100 percent by 2040.

China has been the world's largest new energy vehicle market. In the first three quarters, sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids totaled about 2.16 million units, up 190 percent year-on-year.

The China Association of Automobile Manufactures said their sale this year could hit 3 million units this year in the country.