Acura Confirms Shift Away From Complete EV Lineup, Anticipates More ICE and Hybrid Models

      Jerry Perez

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      In 2021, Acura representatives announced that the luxury Honda brand would focus exclusively on an all-EV strategy, bypassing investments in new hybrid vehicles, with the ZDX marking the beginning of this shift. However, this approach has officially changed, as confirmed today. Expect to see new hybrid offerings and the continuation of internal combustion engine models from Acura in the near future.

      Emile Korkor, Assistant VP of Acura National Sales, stated in a December 2021 interview with Automotive News, “We’re not just testing the waters with electrification at Acura, we’re fully committed. This commitment isn’t just a necessity; it stems from our desire to enhance performance, and electrification greatly contributes to that.”

      However, the narrative has evolved.

      During a Honda executive roundtable in Monterey, American Honda CEO Kazuhiro Takizawa mentioned, “We will maximize production of internal combustion engine and hybrid models to cater to our customers in North America. This entails prolonging key ICE models and introducing hybrid options. Our strategy to invest in flexible production at our EV hub in Ohio is turning out to be very wise, allowing us to manufacture ICE, hybrid, and EV models on the same production lines and adjust production swiftly according to customer demand.”

      Takizawa-san acknowledged the brand's earlier commitment to a full EV transition, pointing out the reality of the current American electric vehicle infrastructure: “…given customer demand, it’s not feasible.” He also expressed dissatisfaction with regulations that have made compliance increasingly challenging for automakers over the past year.

      The company is not abandoning its EV efforts entirely; it recently unveiled a new battery-electric RSX prototype. Takizawa-san elaborated, “We are also participating in Ionna [an EV infrastructure initiative]. Without charging, we cannot sell BEVs, and without BEVs, charging stations struggle to be profitable. I believe these challenges will eventually be addressed, leading to a better EV experience for customers. We’re also working to alleviate some of these customer infrastructure challenges.”

      Our Editor-In-Chief, Kyle Cheromcha, who attended the meeting, posed the question: “… from a consumer perspective, the Civic Hybrid is a popular model, and many wonder why we can't see that powertrain in the Integra. What’s holding that back?”

      Takizawa-san responded: “It’s not straightforward. Changing the powertrain requires us to restart with crash tests and various other processes. [Our engineers] indicate it’s quite challenging [Laughs]. However, it’s not impossible; we possess the technology, and it boils down to the time needed for model development. Typically, introducing a new vehicle can take four years or more. With this timeline, we must be patient. Once a decision is made, it still takes several years to implement.”

      When asked about potential collaborations for future hybrid technology, similar to Honda's partnership with GM for the Chevy Blazer and Honda Prologue, Takizawa expressed confidence that the company would pursue an independent path. “Regarding hybrids, we believe we have more expertise than anyone else,” he stated.

      I'm not surprised by Acura's shift away from a pure all-EV strategy. However, today’s comments served as the first clear confirmation that hybrids and internal combustion engine vehicles will remain significant components of Honda and Acura’s plans for at least the next few years.

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