Honda and GM Partner Up, Plan to Build Millions of EVs

• Two of the world’s biggest automakers — Honda and GM — are teaming up to build EVs.
• The companies announced a partnership that will result in millions of electric vehicles.
• The first cars from this partnership will hit the road in 2027.

Today, Honda and GM have announced a partnership that will enable production of millions of electric vehicles by 2027. It might seem like an unlikely marriage given Honda sells only one EV overseas (the subcompact Honda E) and GM builds the GMC Hummer EV (which is nearly three times the Honda E's size). However, the two companies have worked together on hydrogen fuel cell tech and autonomous vehicles before, and GM is already producing Honda's first US-bound electric vehicle.

The first part of the plan involves rolling out vehicles the two companies have already worked on. Those include the upcoming 2024 Honda Prologue, a fully electric crossover that will enter what is quickly becoming the hottest segment in the industry. It will have to contend with the likes of the Subaru Solterra, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E and others. Shortly after the Prologue makes its debut, Acura will unveil its first EV SUV, which will likely be based on the same platform but do battle with the Genesis GV60 and Tesla Model Y.

The companies will then share resources in an effort to bring down the cost of manufacturing batteries by collaborating on manufacturing methods that will, eventually, make these cars cheaper to build and buy. GM also has its Ultium battery factory, dubbed Factory Zero, already up and running. The first vehicles from this partnership will use those next-generation batteries. Honda and GM are both working on solid-state battery tech, which will make EVs cheaper, decrease charge times and benefit range.

The result of this collaboration will result in a new lineup of EVs, with the first one due in 2027. The statement the two companies released was littered with caveats, however, and both were careful to note that every target listed here is just a projection. In other words, don't be surprised if it takes longer than either GM or Honda believe it will to deliver on the promise of building millions of EVs.

Edmunds Says

We hope the collaboration with two of the world's largest automakers will make next-generation EVs more affordable than the current crop.