Honda to shift focus to hybrid electric vehicles and next-gen ADAS
At the Honda Motor Company’s recent business briefing, the automaker announced that it will be reassessing its powertrain portfolio following a shift in general vehicle demand towards hybrid vehicles. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will completely forget about its electrification efforts in full-battery electric vehicles, as it is simply changing priorities.
For one, the automaker is currently working on its next-generation advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), which is stated to assist the driver with vehicle operations throughout the entire route to the destination, as part of its goal of Zero Traffic Collision Fatalities by 2050.
This is similar to how some Chinese vehicles now have NOA functionality (navigate on autopilot), where the vehicle will even steer along the route (usually highways or inter-city exchanges). Honda says that its system will work even in urban environments, including turning at intersections, and even with automated parking functionalities.
Honda aims to integrate these ADAS technologies in all of its vehicles (from the smallest to the biggest) while minimizing the space needed for the components, and it says that its hybrid system is efficient enough to power all of these systems, unlike ADAS systems that require high-end EV or PHEV models to sustain the electrical load needed.
Honda says its next-generation ADAS will be launched in key EV and HEV models in North America and Japan around 2027. For China, Honda will work with Momenta Global (as seen last Auto Shanghai) to make an ADAS setup specific to the region, due to the rapid advancement and difference in technological standards.
As for its next-generation HEV drivetrain, the two-motor e:HEV hybrid system will be built upon, where it aims to make a new platform that will improve driving dynamics, efficiency (via fuel economy and weight reduction), and safety, alongside an electric AWD drive unit for precise motor control, all while reducing the cost of the system by more than 50%.
It will be introduced in three different series, the small, midsize, and large size. The former two will use new 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter engines and improved motors respectively, and the latter will be meant for the North American market, with a focus on high performance and enhanced towing capabilities.
Honda aims to have this new system in 13 next-generation HEV models to be released in a four-year span starting 2027, and as a bonus, the new “H” mark introduced with its EV models will be found on major HEV models for 2027 and beyond.
As for the reassessment of its EV strategy, the Honda 0 Series will still be introduced to the market next year, featuring the new ASIMO OS and the AD/ADAS introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2025.
Honda says that it still sees EVs as the optimal solution to achieving carbon neutrality, so the automaker is simply pushing these plans back, including plans to build an “EV value chain in Canada”, alongside the establishment of local supply chains in the United States in light of the recent political climate (tariffs, basically).
Photos from Honda
