GM and Honda to Jointly Develop Honda Electric Vehicles

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra on 4 March 2020 detailing GM’s electric vehicle technologies and upcoming products in the Design Dome, GM Tech Center Warren, Michigan.

General Motors and Honda have agreed to jointly develop two all-new electric vehicles for Honda, based on GM’s highly global EV platform powered by proprietary Ultium batteries. The exteriors and interiors of the new EVs will be exclusively designed by Honda, and the platform “will be engineered to support Honda’s driving character.” (GM Shows New Batteries and a Flexible Global EV Platform, Honda, GM Expand Cooperation for Next Gen Battery)

As part of the agreement, Honda will incorporate GM’s OnStar safety and security services into the two EVs, integrating them with HondaLink. Additionally, Honda plans to make GM’s hands-free advanced driver-assist technology available.

Production of the two Honda electric vehicles will combine the development expertise of both companies, and they will be manufactured at GM plants in North America. Sales are expected to begin in the 2024 model year in Honda’s United States and Canadian markets.

Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick will be launching new EVs starting this year. The next new Chevrolet EV will be a new version of the Bolt EV, launching in late 2020, followed by the 2022 Bolt EUV, launching Summer 2021.

GM and Honda have an ongoing involvement around electrification. This includes work on fuel cells and the Cruise Origin, an electric, self-driving and shared vehicle, which was revealed in San Francisco earlier this year. Honda also joined GM’s battery module development efforts in 2018.

EVs remain an enormous threat to stockholders because of the capital investment required.

“This collaboration will put together the strength of both companies, while combined scale and manufacturing efficiencies will ultimately provide greater value to customers,” said Rick Schostek, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “This expanded partnership will unlock economies of scale to accelerate our electrification roadmap and advance our industry-leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

“We are in discussions with one another regarding the possibility of further extending our partnership,” Schostek said.