Honda ’Lacks Confidence’ in Electric-Car Demand

[Cacti]

"Honda Motor Co. remains skeptical about demand for electric cars 10 years after it stopped selling its EV Plus battery-powered model, the head of research at Japan’s second-largest carmaker said.

“We lack confidence” in the electric-vehicle business, Tomohiko Kawanabe, president of Honda’s research and development unit, said in an interview in Wako City,...


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=aoc8RmMkfLGE&pid=20601087

 

[adric22]

“We lack confidence” in the electric-vehicle business, Tomohiko Kawanabe, president of Honda’s research and development unit, said in an interview in Wako City,...

Of course he'll say that right now because they don't have any product. If he says electric cars are the wave of the future, then he'd just be driving off his current customers over to Nissan. But secretly, they are scrambling to get one ready and 2 years from now they'll have one and the same dude will come back and publicly say the opposite of what he just said, in hopes that nobody will remember what he said 2 years earlier.

 

[evnow]

Honda's startegy is puzzling. They are the only large company, AFAIK, currently with no plans for a BEV or PHEV.

May be they want to pursue CNG more vigourosly ? That is not a bad medium term startegy given peak oil ...

 

[EVDRIVER]

These guys have things that have been on the works for years, even if they don't release them, and the same goes for Toyota and even Mercedes who has had a bunch of EVs for years, even an S class model EV with a high range. Just because they are not discussing or releasing these vehicles does not mean they have not been developing these products. Does anyone really think Honda is ignoring EV development all these years? Just like Audi stated last year how silly EVs are. It's all marketing spin and strategy form the Japanese and others. Does anyone think a company like Toyota would allow Nissan to possibly dominate the EV market by siting on their hands and waiting to see what happens?

 

[evnow]

Does anyone think a company like Toyota would allow Nissan to possibly dominate the EV market by siting on their hands and waiting to see what happens?

Having a concept car is different from having a serious project going to produce a car is large numbers.

BTW, don't bet against hubris. Toyota won't be the first company to have lost a market advantage if it happens ...

 

[EVDRIVER]

Does anyone think a company like Toyota would allow Nissan to possibly dominate the EV market by siting on their hands and waiting to see what happens?

Having a concept car is different from having a serious project going to produce a car is large numbers.

BTW, don't bet against hubris. Toyota won't be the first company to have lost a market advantage if it happens ...

All cars are concept cars until they are placed into production, my point is they are not siting around and I would not be shocked if Toyota is in a position to drop an EV bomb. Any company is at risk when they don't think ahead of the curve and prepare. If Nissans tactics work they can have a great lead and huge economies of scale in the battery production arena.

 

[DanCar]

All cars are concept cars until they are placed into production, my point is they are not siting around and I would not be shocked if Toyota is in a position to drop an EV bomb. Any company is at risk when they don't think ahead of the curve and prepare. If Nissans tactics work they can have a great lead and huge economies of scale in the battery production arena.

Toyota doesn't have 10 years of experience with li-ion batteries like Nissan says they do.

 

[Gavin]

One: Toyota could easily do what others now do...Companies use Toyota's hybrid system in their cars. Toyota could easily use outside batteries from somebody with many years experience. In fact, I would be surprised if Toyota didn't use an outside source for it's batteries. Nissan and Th!nk seem to be the only ones using "their" own batteries.

Two: Honda has the "cutest" EV ever shown...They just need the testicular fortitude to build it...

Cutest commuter car evar...It would be like driving down the road inside the stomach of a Pokemon...They would make a killing just selling these to high school and college girls.

on a side note...damn it honda, make that EV cub scooter too...grrr, quit showing me things I want that I can't buy. I have cash monies, take some from me...

and ps...don't show me this beautiful electric cub:

and then try and sell me this ugly electric scooter instead:

dang it...make the pretty one.

Gavin

 

[evnow]

My experience with auto industry is very limited.

But from following the story of Volt, it seems to me you need a lot of time from a concept car to a launch. Say 3 to 4 years.

Anyway, this is what Nissan is saying .... I don't know if it is all "trash talking" or real.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10120053.stm

"I do feel we have a first mover advantage," says Mr Thomas. "To go bottom up takes four years so it's going to take a long time for some manufacturers to catch up."

 

[DanCar]

One: Toyota could easily do what others now do...Companies use Toyota's hybrid system in their cars. Toyota could easily use outside batteries from somebody with many years experience. In fact, I would be surprised if Toyota didn't use an outside source for it's batteries.

Yes, they are using an outside source but outside sources aren't claiming the performance and price ratio that Nissan has.

 

[Gavin]

Depends on the price....we have heard 375 (an amazing price that nobody currently could match) and we've heard 750 (a price that could be matched easily by Enerdel and others). So is the battery pack 9k or 18k?

Likely somewhere in-between I hope. I would like to think Nissan has the battery nailed down below the 500 mark.

Gavin

 

[DanCar]

Yes that appears correct.
Nissan and EnerDel team up to research EV batteries:
http://cleantech.com/news/4782/nissan-and-enerdel-team-research-ev

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

BTW, don't bet against hubris. Toyota won't be the first company to have lost a market advantage if it happens ...

Indeed. Numerous things I've seen firsthand are consistent with some of what they covered in the CNBC special "Total Recall" (check it out) indicates they are toh-tally full of themselves. Went from having the world by the tail to mediocrity in just a few years. Forget about the recalls and safety issues, look at camry and corolla - both quite lame in their respective categories, and that's what, like 70% of the market? The new sonata spanks the camry.

They will continue to do well just on their momentum and market share, but if there's a paradigm shift? (man I hate that cliche) It will take some monster reaction their culture is not well suited to. They are better equipped to handle a world that changes slowly over time.

 

[evnow]

They will continue to do well just on their momentum and market share, but if there's a paradigm shift? (man I hate that cliche) It will take some monster reaction their culture is not well suited to. They are better equipped to handle a world that changes slowly over time.

Yes - the best example would be Nintendo's Wii. Took both Sony & Microsoft by surprise. Everyone thought the fight would be between PS3 & XBoc 360 ...

 

[IndyLeaf]

I am the proud owner of 4 Honda's and I bet they have a plan- as well as Toyota; don't discount either company and don't believe all the press prints... I hope to have a Leaf but I could possibly wait for a second generation model... and I would not be surprsed if range is higher, and if these competitors have their models roll out- with Nissan's second or third generation....

 

[evnow]

I am the proud owner of 4 Honda's and I bet they have a plan- as well as Toyota; don't discount either company and don't believe all the press prints... I hope to have a Leaf but I could possibly wait for a second generation model... and I would not be surprsed if range is higher, and if these competitors have their models roll out- with Nissan's second or third generation....

Ofcource they will have something. We already know what Toyota will have (a PHEV with 12 mile range). Honda wants to pour more and more money into the hydrogen sink.

 

[Bicster]

And the new VW EV just announced is a joke. It's using those cylindrical laptop batteries... and it won't be around for 3+ years.

 

[EVDRIVER]

And the new VW EV just announced is a joke. It's using those cylindrical laptop batteries... and it won't be around for 3+ years.

You could not beg me to buy anything VW, their quality is terrible. An EV would be frightening.

 

[Bicster]

And the new VW EV just announced is a joke. It's using those cylindrical laptop batteries... and it won't be around for 3+ years.

You could not beg me to buy anything VW, their quality is terrible. An EV would be frightening.

Well that, too. The only thing worse than the reliability of my VW was the stealership. :lol: