General Motors and Honda to develop affordable EVs from 2027

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American car manufacturer General Motors (GM) and Japan’s Honda have just announced they will build “millions of EVs” that are much more affordable than the ones currently on offer. 

The two corporations have said they are targeting the key markets of North America, South America and China but Australia could be one of the areas on their radar. 

GM and Honda state that a major segment will be compact crossover vehicles, or how we call them in Australia, small SUVs. GM says the compact crossover segment is one of the largest in the world, with annual volumes of over 13 million vehicles. 

GM and Honda have been in a close working relationship for several years to help develop electric battery-driven vehicles for the future. In 2020, GM and Honda announced they would be developing two EVs including the Honda Prologue and Acura EV SUV slated for arrival sometime in 2024. 

Cheaper new battery tech under the microscope

GM is already working on plans to move battery technology forward into the future and some of the ways it is doing this is by accelerating new technology in the fields of lithium-metal, silicon and solid-state batteries. 

Honda has made progress, too, with solid state battery technology which will eventually help drive down the cost of batteries as well as make them more powerful and sustainable. By doing this, both GM and Honda believe that they can make electric vehicles more affordable for the masses while also reducing the corporation’s carbon footprint. 

“This new series of affordable EVs will build on this relationship by leveraging our strength in the development and production of high quality, compact class vehicles,” said Honda’s senior managing executive officer Shinji Aoyama. 

The co-operative relationship also has plans to introduce an all-electric product for North America at a price point lower than the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV. 

What kind of EVs does GM and Honda currently produce?

General Motors is planning to release several new EVs into the market in the coming years, most of which use GM’s Ultium battery and electric motor technology. This tech sits on GM’s BEV3 or BT1 platforms. 

The GM Hummer H1T is one of the current models using this technology, but more will arrive with time including the new Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV and GMC Sierra EV. 

Honda, meanwhile, has been working towards expanding on its hybrid and full electric capabilities with cars such as the new Honda HR-V, CR-V and Insight hybrids and PHEVs and the fully electric Honda E which is not yet sold in Australia. With this ongoing partnership with GM, Honda seeks to build many more EVs by the end of the decade.