Honda said today that it plans to release its first e:Architecture-based electric vehicle in North America in 2025.
That’s a year earlier than the Japanese automaker originally said it would introduce EVs based on its in-house vehicle platform, which puts greater emphasis on software and over-the-air updates à la Tesla.
Honda said in a statement that the 2025 vehicle will feature a new, in-house operating system, which will “enable the continuous advancement of vehicle functions and services for customers even after the vehicle is purchased.”
A latecomer to the electric vehicle race in North America, so far Honda has leaned on GM to get its EVs out the door by building on the Detroit automaker’s Ultium architecture and EV platform. The EVs that Honda developed with GM — the Prologue and Acura ZDX — are due in North America in 2024.
Honda said its first e:Architecture-based vehicle will be “a mid- to large-size EV model,” disappointing the seemingly precious few of us here in North America who prefer small cars. TechCrunch reached out to Honda to ask if it plans to introduce smaller electrics stateside, and a spokesperson for the company later declined to “speculate on other future products.”