Honda promises to keep ICE cars around until 2040

The key investment targets for Honda include electrified and fuel-cell-based transports, but the company intends to keep the internal combustion engine alive until at least 2040, CEO Toshihiro Mibe revealed when he visited the industrial complex in Marysville, Ohio.

Mibe said a few years ago that the automaker had planned to switch to all-electric and fuel cell vehicle production by the early 2040s. He now reinforced that statement by arguing that IC engines would remain viable for many more years to come for certain vehicles, like sports cars, pickup trucks and lorries.

The current production plans envision the expansion of Honda EV lineup to three dozen different models by the end of the decade. The General Motors factory in Tennessee will proceed to produce two Ultium-powered SUVs for the company next year – the Honda Prologue (see video) and the Acura ZDX.

In 2025, the Japanese marque plans to launch another factory with GM support in the USA to produce battery packs for these two cars and other vehicles for the North American market. A year later, the company plans to introduce its own EV platform called the e:Architecture. Another, more affordable car platform is scheduled for joint development with GM and is due by the year 2027. It is envisioned as the basis for the cheaper cars targeting the U.S. and China markets.