Honda announces a new electric urban SUV and a hybrid compact SUV for 2023

Within the framework of the presentation of the new Honda Civic e:HEV, the Japanese brand has announced the fulfilment of its ‘Electric Vision’ target for 2022, which included the commitment to have its main models in Europe electrified by the end of 2022. At the same time, Honda has confirmed three new electrified models arriving before 2023, in addition to the Civic e:HEV itself. Among them, two new SUVs, one fully electric and one hybrid.

Let us recall that Honda’s plans aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025 and to completely abandon the sale of cars with any type of combustion engine by 2040.

Two new Honda SUVs and a plug-in hybrid CR-V

Among the new models to be added to the Honda range, a new SUV for the B-segment has been announced, for now unveiled as a prototype under the name e:Ny1, which will feature fully electric propulsion. A hybrid SUV in the compact segment will also arrive, along with the new Honda CR-V, which for the first time in Europe will offer hybrid versions and a plug-in hybrid variant.

In this regard, Tom Gardner, Vice President of Honda Motor Europe, has stated: “The new models we will introduce in 2023 set the course for the next generation of Honda electrified vehicles, all of them with the driving dynamics, comfort and functionality our customers expect”. For the moment, there is no further information beyond the illustrations and sketches of these new models.

As part of this electrification programme, Honda will also strengthen its energy management business unit, connecting products and services. For example, in Switzerland, as part of the V2X Suisse consortium, the brand has delivered a fleet of 50 Honda e vehicles and 35 Power Manager units to the shared-mobility operator Mobility. The idea is to carry out a trial to test Honda’s bidirectional charging, returning electricity to the grid when the electric vehicles are parked.

Another notable project is the service called e:PROGRESS, which is already operating in the United Kingdom. It allows electric car users to reduce the cost of use and to use the greatest possible amount of energy during recharging from renewable sources. In Germany, together with the energy company Vattenfall, Honda has also begun marketing its first smart charger for electric cars, the Honda Power Charger S+.