Straightforward
I guess this is one of those times where you just have to tell it as it is. Honda has just announced that it has officially decided on a name for its next-generation hybrid system. Compared with how the brand has named its electrified powertrains in the past, this is the most straightforward name we’ve seen from the big H so far.
It’s a far cry from the e:HEV name. Truth is, the old name didn’t really roll off the tongue so well, nor did it paint a picture of an electrified vehicle off the bat, and neither did it do any favors for writers who had to hold down the shift key to type in an “e,” followed by a colon, and “HEV.” Or is that just me? Anyway.
“Honda Hybrid is a next-generation hybrid system developed by further advancing key components of e:HEV, such as the engine and drive unit, as well as the control technologies. The system name, Honda Hybrid, will also serve as a communication name,” Honda’s statement reads. In other words, e:HEV probably didn’t get the brand recall Honda was aiming for, so I guess their team decided to just spell things out for everyone. It works, though!
Honda
From e:HEV to Honda Hybrid
Apart from being easier to digest, the name change also signals that Honda’s hybrids are entering a next generation. The company states that “the next-generation Honda Hybrid system further advanced the technology to realize both excellent fuel efficiency and the joy of driving that appeals to all senses of the driver, at a high level.”
Honda also admitted that the name change was done “to communicate more intuitively to customers around the world about the value proposition of this new hybrid system that is unique only to Honda.” As a result, “Honda Hybrid” was born from these two lines of reasoning.
Honda
15 Honda Hybrid Models Planned
By March 31, 2030, Honda is planning to have 15 next-generation Honda Hybrid models launched globally, with most of the models being concentrated in North America. Honda’s goal with the Honda Hybrid system is to realize further improvements to fuel economy with regard to its electrified models.
Honda also plans to roll out a newly developed platform that’s optimized for rigidity and weight reduction. This new platform will be Honda Hybrid-ready, and the brand claims that it also adopted a “new approach to body rigidity management,” which means that there are specific points where the chassis flexes and remains rigid, leading to improved handling and stability.
Honda also touted its new “Motion Management System” and its new “electric all-wheel-drive system (e-AWD)” as some of the features that we can expect in its new crop of electrified vehicles. The two aforementioned features are both technical improvements to existing Honda systems, but are expected to be more advanced thanks to the next-generation Honda Hybrid system.
