Honda Too Will Phase Out Gas Guzzlers and Go Electric with GM’s Battery

Et Tu Honda?

Honda has officially announced that they are joining a long list of automakers that will be phasing out models with an internal combustion engine. Japan’s number two automaker has set a 2040 deadline to produce a fully electric and fuel cell line-up that is more “environmentally friendly”.

There are many barriers to 100% electrification, the inadequacy of battery technology being one of the key ones. Honda has chosen to sign an agreement with General Motors to use the American carmaker’s Ultium battery, which is cheaper and more sustainable, and thus a real game-changer if the industry wants to mass-produce electric cars.

GM’s battery uses 70% less cobalt, replacing the rare metal with a cheaper, more abundant and more sustainable alternative, aluminium. Cobalt is a controversial material that has brought up hotly debated ethical questions surrounding mining practices, human rights violation and environmental impact.

The Ultium battery cells are contained in a polymer pack instead of metal shells, which makes them more durable under strain and lighter too; in car production, the vehicle’s overall weight makes a huge difference in performance efficiency, that is the lighter the car, the less fuel – or in this case, battery juice – it requires for the car to cover the same distance.

Honda and Acura cars will start using the Ultium battery starting from the 2024 model year, but for EVs larger than their current all-electric E model.

According to CEO Toshihiro Mibe, the company is committed to helping the country achieve a 46% reduction in emissions by 2030. When speaking to Reuters, he shared that he believed it to be the responsibility of an automaker to achieve the carbon-free goal on a “‘tank-to-wheel’ basis”. That’s convenient. What about what comes before the “tank”, that is the electricity source? (84% of the world’s energy is still produced from fossil fuels.)

Honda’s rival, Toyota, hasn’t forgotten that part, which is why despite announcing a new line-up of EVs in the next few years, they are committed to not commit to just electric cars, but other types of powertrains as well, including hybrids and fossil-fuel-powered ones.

Until the far future comes and we see whether Toyota or Honda chose the right path, we are most likely going to be stuck with the internal combustion engine for some time. The next best thing we can do for the environment is to keep our ICE vehicles running at peak efficiency, so that we consume less fuel and emit lower levels of emissions. One of the ways we like to do it is to use additives that can improve our engine performance. Check out how this one can help you save fuel and reduce exhaust emissions: