Honda bullish on fuel cells, electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-ins

Honda looking for two-thirds of its sales to be zero-emissions by 2030

The Honda Clarity fuel cell will go on sale in Japan next month.  The company is working on next-generation fuel cells with GM which should go into production in 2020. Honda photo.

TOKYO _On Wednesday, Takahiro Hachigo, Honda Motor Co. president and chief executive unveiled the Japanese automaker’s long-term environmental strategy.

He said two-thirds of the car company’s sales will be zero-emissions, including fuel cells and electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-ins by 2030.

Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. announced last year that almost all its sales will be hybrids and fuel cells by 2050, underlining a similar commitment to reduce global warming and pollution.

The new version of Honda’s Clarity fuel cell will go on sale, starting in Japan, next month, and the next-general fuel-cell system, which Honda is working on with U.S. automaker General Motors Co., will start production in about 2020, Hachigo said.

Hachigo took the helm at Tokyo-based company last year after his predecessor stepped down amid quality problems, including some that predated the Takata airbag fiasco.

Hachigo promised to maintain quality, while pushing what he called “global models,” such as the Fit, Civic and Accord, which will be adapted for various markets. Such a move will cut costs.

Some of the Fit subcompact and Accord hybrids that are made in Japan will be shipped to North America, while the Jazz, as the Fit is called in Europe, the HR-V and CR-V sport-utility vehicles, will be shipped from Japan to be sold in Europe.

Both moves are intended to keep production in Japan at about 950,000 vehicles, to serve as the “mother” system for Honda’s global production methods, Hachigo said.

The Canadian Press