Honda nearing mass-market Solid State battery production

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Bottlely@reddit

This subs repeatedly asks why Honda isn't making a good EV and this is at least part of the reason; Honda wants a serious in-house EV line-up, but they can't do that with their current technology. Even compared to other legacy manufacturers, they took too long to start investing in EV research (although at the time, the JPN government was promoting hydrogen development and Honda was too small to commit to many different technologies like Toyota can).

We've already seen the consequences through their under-performing and expensive Honda e hatchback (which I still adore and hope gets a second shot) or their sub-optimal e:NY1 crossovers, which is why none of them are offered in car-loving USA. Their partnership with GM, despite questionable results, was needed to buy some time and offer something for the North American market.

This is part of Honda's efforts to make lighter and more capable EV vehicles from the get-go, and manufacturing something so new in an industry so complicated requires effort most of us here can't comprehend.

I can only hope this SSB effort works out, and maybe even see the tech in their hybrids.

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Recoil42@reddit

This subs repeatedly asks why Honda isn't making a good EV and this is at least part of the reason; Honda wants a serious in-house EV line-up, but they can't do that with their current technology.

Eh, it's more complicated than that. They can 'do' it, it just isn't cleanly profitable. See Volkswagen and Ford's recent troubles with EVs, and how hard both of those companies are scrambling to recover from their bad financial EV decisions. It isn't a technology imitation — Tesla and BYD exist, duh — but a problem of Honda's exposure to their existing markets and how much risk they want to take on, especially regulatory risk.

Even compared to other legacy manufacturers, they took too long to start investing in EV research (although at the time, the JPN government was promoting hydrogen development and Honda was too small to commit to many different technologies like Toyota can).

Y'all gotta stop spreading this schlock, good god. Honda was putting out EVs in the 1990s, they had a Fit EV back in 2012. Both the Clarity and Honda e were released just a couple years later. They make multiple EVs right now, including the eNS1 and eNS2.

You're spouting nonsense.

Honda knows how to build electric motors — a technology well over a hundred years old — and they have access to the same battery suppliers as everyone else. It isn't matter of having access to research, or taking too long to invest in EV research. The economics just haven't been globally favourable yet.

We've already seen the consequences through their under-performing and expensive Honda e hatchback (which I still adore and hope gets a second shot) or their sub-optimal e:NY1 crossovers, which is why none of them are offered in car-loving USA. Their partnership with GM, despite questionable results, was needed to buy some time and offer something for the North American market.

Again, you're just spouting complete utter nonsense here. I legitimately can't be any kinder saying it: The reason the Honda e and e:NY1 weren't offered in the US is because it wasn't very profitable to do so. That's it. That's all there is, and that's all their needs to be. The e:NY1 is built in China (where EVs are needed) and would face tariffs if exported to the US (where the Clarity is already available for ZEV obligations), so it simply isn't required.

Honda meets their EPA/CARB obligations, and has the second-lowest emissions output of ANY automaker in the US. They don't need EVs in the US, and won't need EVs en-masse until CARB ACC2 kicks in towards 2026. Toyota is in a similar position. These companies are ahead of the others, not behind.

You have it completely backwards.

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Bottlely@reddit

I legitimately can't be any kinder saying it

Actually, I think you can be by choosing more neutral wording than "Y'all gotta stop spreading this schlock, good god" and "Again, you're just spouting complete utter nonsense here".

But you seem far better informed about the situation and better at explaining it, and I greatly appreciate the corrections, much like I do the past couple of times I've asked you about Ford and what's happening in China.

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cubs223425@reddit

I don't feel I've seen Honda criticized that much on this. Toyota has taken a lot more flak for not having EVs, and their initial efforts only made that noise worse.

Meamwhile, you had GM dictating that Buick would be fully electric by 2030, but they still don't have an electric Buick announced for America and already backtracked on that goal.

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gumol@reddit

GM has a bunch of EVs, some of them are even good. Honda has none.

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MechMeister@reddit

Honda has said they don't want to make Lithium pack cars. The Prologue is a stopgap made by GM so they can comply with federal law.

I know it sounds like marketing-speak, but I believe Honda when they say that they are waiting for in house Solid state batteries before releasing a serious EV product. Low weight and fast charging is the ticket to EV adoption and Lithium offer neither of those things.

We will see the Afeela cars with SSB in two years or so at a price that will make Lucid owners blush. But maybe in 10 years we will see affordable SSB cars from Honda and Toyota and their partners.

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gumol@reddit

solid state batteries powered cars in 2 years? I wish

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MechMeister@reddit

Did you read the article? It's what they are saying and all the pressure releases from Afeela have said the same. Just because they are saying solid state battery cars will be for sale by the decade, doesn't mean that they'll be selling civics to everyone's mom. The Afeela is going to be a pretty high-end low volume car.

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gumol@reddit

Did you read the article?

yep

It's what they are saying

nope

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Recoil42@reddit

Did you read the article? It's what they are saying and all the press releases from Afeela have said the same.

I challenge you to produce a single press release from Afeela claiming it will have solid state battery in 2026 or 2027. Go ahead, produce one. Just a single one.

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Recoil42@reddit

Honda has said they don't want to make Lithium pack cars.

You are making things up.

Honda has 'lithium' cars right now. The e:NY1 is on sale in Europe and China at this very moment, and they just launched the e:N2 in China a few months ago. The Ye S7 is in production right now. Of course, the Honda e existed for years.

They're literally finishing up a joint-venture plant with LG in Ohio right now ahead of production in Marysville next year, and just broke ground with Asahi Kasei on a cathode separator plant in Ontario ahead of production there in 2028.

We will see the Afeela cars with SSB in two years or so

My dude, Afeela's own website lists the car as coming with standard 91kWh pack.

You gotta stop making up horseshit on the internet.

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cubs223425@reddit

Honda set a plan and has kept to it. GM has made bombastic goals and already abandoned them.

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gumol@reddit

Honda set a plan and has kept to it.

like when they cancelled development of EVs due to "slower-than-expected demand and changing market conditions."?

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Recoil42@reddit

When did Honda "cancel development of EVs", and do you mean a single EV, or all of them?

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Bottlely@reddit

It depends on the post. If the title so much as implies that Honda is trying to justify not putting effort into EVs, the hate will be there

Here's a recent example that I recall; the article was about the US Honda CEO talking about consumer reluctance due to infrastructure. Many of the top comments criticised Honda for not investing in EVs (even though they dumped several billion into it).

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One-Platypus3455@reddit

People questioned the GM partnership but the Prologue has been selling really good, albeit with huge incentives.

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gumol@reddit

Editorialized title.

Honda Unveils Demonstration Production Line

it's a demonstration line that won't build a single battery until next year. This is still a research project.

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One-Platypus3455@reddit

It’ll begin battery production a month and a half from now.

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Recoil42@reddit

It's still a clickbait modified title. A pilot line doesn't mean production, it means testing for future production.

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One-Platypus3455@reddit

I never said that it meant production… I said that production of the demonstration line will started soon.

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Recoil42@reddit

You didn't say that, but it was implied in the headline, which is what we're all taking issue with. Honda "nearing mass-market Solid State battery production" is not the scope of the press release. The scope of the press release is Honda unveiling a demonstration production line.

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