Your Future Honda EV Might Have a General Motors Battery
Not if you’re planning on leasing a Clarity Electric, of course, though future iterations of Honda’s greenest model could use what General Motors is pushing. Which is: a far more energy dense battery.
On Thursday, the two automakers announced a partnership to develop smaller, longer-ranged batteries for use in electric vehicles, primarily those sold in North America. Once the two achieve a breakthrough, GM will become Honda’s supplier.
By developing “advanced chemistry battery components,” meaning the cell and module itself, the automakers hope to market an EV battery pack with “higher energy density, smaller packaging and faster charging capabilities” than those currently on the market.
Because of a lack of battery room beneath its do-everything platform, the fully electric version of Honda’s Clarity sedan boasts a measly 89 miles of driving range. No wonder it’s offering such an attractive lease. While some products in the automaker’s EV pipeline, like the production version of the Urban EV Concept, require a small footprint but usable driving range to attract a younger, less affluent demographic, there’s a need for green family haulers with enough range to haul three kids and their crap to grandma’s house a state over. This typically necessitates a large, heavy, and expensive battery pack, plus a hefty MSRP.
Honda’s not alone in this need. Increasingly, automakers who haven’t invested copious R&D dollars into electrified vehicle technology are simply partnering with other automakers to make it happen. Witness Subaru’s fruitful pair-up with Toyota.
GM and Honda aren’t meeting up for a first-time tryst, either. The two automakers already have a joint manufacturing pact for the creation of affordable hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Executives from both automakers placed their names on a joint media release, emphasizing the most recent partnership’s goal of achieving nice-sounding things like sustainability and mobility. We love mobility around here.
[Image: Honda]
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- ToolGuy My latest vehicle acquisition is slightly older than this one, same parent company, but has a full frame, rear-wheel drive and a longitudinally-mounted pushrod V8 gasoline engine. Almost like it was engineered and manufactured by a completely different group of people. Hmmm...
- EBFlex Smart people
- Wjtinfwb "Rovelo" tires? Good to see TTAC is not above the shameless commercial endorsement of unknown product like it's bigger print competitors.
- Wjtinfwb Looks in decent nick for a Junkyard car. Other than the interior being partially gutted for some trim pieces, you could probably drive it out of the junkyard. Maybe a transmission issue and the cars value precluded a $2k or more fix? J cars were pathetic when introduced in '82 and never really got any better. But GM did sort out most of the reliability issues and with a modicum of maintenance these would run a long time if you could stand the boredom. Guess this owner couldn't.
- GS340Pete I see a lot of these on the road. I can't remember the last time I saw one on my local Chevy dealership's lot. They've never in my memory had a few lined up with balloons. Short sighted to kill it off? Perhaps. But I certainly think the rows of $65k and up trucks is short sighted. That's going to bite soon. Looks like they're piling up already.And what about the Trax? Malibu or Trax? Gotta be honest, I'd pick the Trax.Although it should have 50 more HP IMHO. And why are so many preaching doom about the 'wet belt' engine?RIP, Malibu. Ride the highway in the sky with the Impala (talk about short sighted.)
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No wonder Prius sales are falling so fast. People are buying the Subaru version.
Can I get a Lucas wiring harness, dashboard and gauges in it too ?