Tokyo, Japan — Honda will be betting big on General Motors’ Ultium, announcing on Wednesday that the two companies will co-operate to develop a series of affordable electric vehicles based on GM’s battery technology.
GM said in a press release that they expect to start rolling out millions of compact crossover vehicles in 2027 in a partnership that will also work toward standardizing equipment and processes in EV technology.
“GM and Honda will share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America and China,” said GM chair and CEO Mary Barra.
“This is a key step to deliver on our commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in our global products and operations by 2040 and eliminate tailpipe emissions from light duty vehicles in the U.S. by 2035. By working together, we’ll put people all over the world into EVs faster than either company could achieve on its own.”
The legacy Detroit automaker said it is already working to accelerate new technologies like lithium-metal, silicon and solid-state batteries, along with production methods that can be used to improve and update battery cell manufacturing processes.
According to the press release, Honda is also making progress on its all-solid-state battery technology which the company sees as the core element of future EVs. Honda has established a demonstration line in Japan for all-solid-state batteries and is making further progress toward mass-production.