Link: https://carbuzz.com/honda-ceo-china-admission/

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/62156706

Company executives said that "Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers," making it uncompetitive. So it was recording billions in losses and packing up.

It was Mibe, who is now Honda President, who said that the company had "no chance," reports Nikkei Asia. Mibe was touring the factory of a supplier in China where there were no humans on the production floor. He learned that Chinese factories could build fast and cheap, but also with quality.

Company executives said that "Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers," making it uncompetitive.

So you sat on your lazy asses for years until the market got away from you. And now you’re just giving up.

but also with quality.

Ok but where at on the scale? And what’s the scale?
Assuming on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest quality overall and no is perfect. If Subaru is an 8, are these like a 5 as in a Ford Focus?

It's apparently high enough to fold a competitor on sight.

Sounds like a play for protectionism.

How it started: Nobody wants EVs, they aren't practical. We're ramping down EV development.

How it's going: We have no chance

I guess that means Honda Civic or higher. That’s gotta hurt.

You forgot “hydrogen is the future”

Honda decided to make boring cars and trucks for the last 25 years. Japan made a fundamental error in not sourcing a supply chain for batteries and now China has monopolized it.

Interesting article, but irrelevant. I can't afford to buy a new car anyway. I feel like I'll be stuck with an ICE forever.

Today's new cars are tomorrow's used cars. What happens in the new car market now will directly affect what is available on the used car market 5, 10, 15 years from now.

Oh I'm so scared, I'm shaking in my boots. How are the auto executives going to feed their poor, starving shareholders? These are dark times indeed.

Dunno. Probably because I can't afford a payment when I have a car that works, so I've not looked. Hard to find things you're not looking for.

I mean for that matter, I really don't know a lot of people that can afford a new car.

Sounds like you made some assumptions.

I do take your point though. When I do finally have to buy, I'll be looking for a used EV. I hear their batteries are lasting longer than anyone expected. I'm feeling optimistic about that.

I'm also hopeful about sodium batteries for residential storage, but that's a whole. Nither kettle of worms.

I am hopeful astronomical gas prices will move the needle on this.

Well said. Decent motorcycles though.

Honda and Toyota both slow played full electrification, emphasizing non-plug-in vehicles even as plug in models started moving real volumes.

But Toyota was at least putting a real push in increasing their hybrid lineup, and lining up increasing amounts of electric drivetrains (batteries, motors, regenerative braking chargers, etc.) in their supply chain.

In 2025, Honda sold 1.4 million vehicles in North America, 430,000 of which were electrified vehicles (50,000 of those being the GM-manufactured Prologue and ZDX), mostly non-plug-in hybrids. Honda has refused to bring a plug-in hybrid to market. Looking at the actual manufacturing, Honda has only partially electrified something like 25% of their vehicles.

Meanwhile, Toyota moved 2.5 million vehicles, 47% of which were electrified. About 50,000 of them were plug-in hybrids and 22,000 were full electric. That's not a lot, but at least they developed their own EVs, have a supply chain for literally millions of (small) batteries and regenerative chargers and electric motors in finished cars.

When it comes time to really put out EVs, Toyota is in a much better position to survive the transition than Honda is.

In this context the limitation of the topic to new cars seems appropriate to me given the article.

You're not wrong.

Honestly I don't understand who can afford buying a new car. I certainly don't see it in my future.