Honda’s Calculated Patience: Why Slower May Now Mean Smarter in the EV Race

Honda’s Calculated Patience: Why Slower May Now Mean Smarter in the EV Race

A few years ago, the global auto industry was racing headlong toward an all-electric future. Automakers scrambled to electrify their lineups, convinced that the combustion engine’s twilight was near. Amid this frenzy, Japanese manufacturers Honda chief among them appeared curiously restrained. While rivals poured billions into battery-powered cars, Honda doubled down on what it knew best: hybrid technology. At the time, this strategy looked cautious, even outdated. Yet as the exuberance around EVs cools and projections are recalibrated, Honda’s restraint suddenly seems like foresight.

The company’s initial electrification roadmap was ambitious but pragmatic. Recognizing the inevitability of the EV era, Honda strategically partnered with General Motors to bring its first electric models to market the 2024 Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX SUVs. Designed by Honda but built on GM’s Ultium platform, these vehicles served as a pragmatic bridge to Honda’s fully in-house electric ambitions.

Behind the scenes, Honda’s engineers were quietly developing a dedicated EV platform that would define its next generation of electric vehicles. That effort is now materializing in the form of the 0 Series, previewed by the striking Saloon and Space-Hub concept models. The Saloon, a sleek electric sedan, is set to enter production in 2026 at Honda’s Ohio facility and will headline a lineup of seven new EVs expected by 2030.

Honda’s global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, underscores that the 0 Series represents pure Honda DNA designed, engineered, and built with the company’s own technology, including batteries developed in partnership with LG Energy Solution.

As the global EV market steadies after its initial surge, Honda’s methodical approach once perceived as hesitation now reads as prudence. In a volatile transition marked by shifting consumer sentiment and uncertain timelines, Honda may well have timed its electric leap just right.