Honda has outsourced the development of its next-generation EV platform to Indian automotive giant Tata.
In a break from tradition, which usually sees Honda keep all vehicle development in-house or within its legacy supplier network, Tata will oversee the creation of the multi-energy platform, which can support all-electric and hybrid powertrains.
In recent years, Tata – the parent company of JLR – has earned a reputation for developing versatile vehicle platforms, such as its All-terrain Ready, Omni-Energy and Geometry Scalable Architecture, or “ARGOS”.
As recently as July this year, Tata also climbed to the top of a global EV efficiency assessment published by the International Council on Clean Transportation. In doing so, Tata – and compatriot Mahindra in second – finished ahead of Tesla and BYD, who ranked third and fourth.
Tata’s EV performance is in stark contrast to Honda’s. Since its all-electric Honda e back in 2020, the Japanese firm has struggled to make an impact on the EV landscape.
While characterful, the e was hampered by a severely limited range and a high price tag. Conversely, its successor, the e:Ny1, failed to gain traction with the public due to its underwhelming design and poor range when compared to other mid-size SUV competitors.
In early March this year, Honda canned its US-built ‘Series 0’ line of EVs pictured below just months before launch, citing heavy losses and the Trump administration’s U-turn in policy on electric vehicles along with protectionist tariffs.
Had the Series 0 cars made it to market, the line-up’s seven models would have been based on new lightweight electrical architecture developed by Honda. The cancellation of the project is expected to contribute to Honda losing up to 570 billion yen (£2.7bn) this financial year.
Fast-forward to the end of March, and Honda and Sony axed their Afeela EV joint project at the last minute. The Afeela 1 saloon was already in its pre-production phase, and the Afeela 2 SUV was set to join the fold by 2028. Like the Series 0 range, both Afeela models were to be made at Honda’s Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio.
As Honda struggled to keep up with the rapid development of long-term rivals and newer EV manufacturers from China, the firm’s struggles were compounded when the decision to axe the Afeela project reportedly cost an additional $15.7bn USD (around £11.8bn) in losses.
To claw back ground, Honda has teamed up with Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng to build its e:NS2, an electric-only version of its Insight hybrid. For now, the model remains exclusive to the Chinese market. In the UK, the only electric Honda on sale is the new Super-N pictured above, which launched this summer.
While further news about the Honda-Tata partnership is yet to be announced, it marks a significant shift in Honda’s decision-making and its electrification strategy. The tie-up will reduce costs by allowing the Tokyo-based firm to tap into Tata’s expertise in relation to platform engineering and EV development. Perhaps this strategy of co-development is what the beleaguered Japanese automaker should have done all along.
