To retire thermal engines by 2040 and produce only electric and hydrogen-powered cars: this is Honda’s ambitious goal, illustrated by the new CEO Toshihiro Mibe, who also announced his will to make his company carbon neutral by 2050, the same year in which the brand’s cars will be built with 100% recyclable materials. To reach these targets, the Japanese manufacturer is ready to put 46 billion dollars on the table over the next six years.
And already by 2030 Honda aims to total 40% of sales with electric vehicles – for which a dedicated platform, called “e: Architecture” – and hydrogen will be created, while from the second half of this decade models powered by solid state batteries, which promise long autonomy and short recharge times. In North America, the electrification plan will involve General Motors, which will supply the Japanese with its new platform with new generation accumulators: the latter will be the basis for the development of two large draft models, expected on the market for 2024. .
In the meantime, to break into the hearts of European motorists, Honda is betting strongly on the new HR-V, which will be offered exclusively with a hybrid engine: under the hood, in fact, there is a 4-cylinder 1.5-liter cubic capacity which is connected to an electricity generator and connects to the front drive wheels only in certain driving situations. Otherwise to move the car thinks an electric unit with 131 HP of power and 253 Nm of torque. The system is technically similar to that seen on the new Jazz and CR-V. With the former, the HR-V shares the technical peculiarity of the petrol tank located under the front seats: this allows for better roominess; the battery is instead placed under the luggage compartment. Speaking of luggage, Honda confirms the presence of the “Magic seats”, the rear seats that fold down or lift vertically to accommodate particularly bulky items.
4.35 meters long, the HR-V features a breaking design compared to the previous edition and promises more space inside, especially for those who sit behind, who are reserved an extra 35 mm for the legs compared to the model currently on sale . On the dashboard, the multimedia system with a 9 “screen, equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the 7” digital instrumentation stand out. The safety kit has been taken care of, which includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and blind spot and reverse traffic monitoring; the “Hill Descent Control” function, which allows the car to advance at low speed on low-grip surfaces, both uphill and downhill, is more off-road. The debut in the dealerships is scheduled for the end of 2021, at prices yet to be defined: the HR-V currently on the list, as a reference, has a price starting from 25 thousand euros.
