In the hustle and bustle of the automotive industry, Honda has always been a maverick. Whether it is "one Honda, Honda for life", or "buy an engine and send a car" or "three joys", Honda has always followed its own rhythm and is not disturbed by the noise of the outside world.
At a time when China's electrification is in full swing, many people say that Honda's electrification transformation is lagging behind. But on the afternoon of April 16, Honda directly gave the "king bomb" - not only released a new electric brand "Ye" specially launched for the Chinese market, but also made the world premiere of "Ye S7", "Ye P7" and "Ye GT CONCEPT" three new models in one go. Among them, the "Ye S7" and "Ye P7" are the first models of the "Ye" brand and are scheduled to be launched at the end of 2024, and the "Ye GT CONCEPT" is the second model of the "Ye" brand, which is scheduled to be launched in 2025.
According to reports, "Ye" means "bright and shining", hoping that drivers can "enjoy the fun of driving, release their innermost desires", and "let everyone's personality shine and stimulate their authenticity." ”
The launch of the brand shows that Honda has deeply cultivated Chinese culture, integrated the concept and vision of car manufacturing that it has always adhered to, and also demonstrated its determination to take root in the Chinese market and meet the needs of Chinese users.
According to reports, the "Ye" brand models are the first in the world to use the new "H" logo exclusive to the new generation of electric vehicles, as well as the newly developed intelligent and efficient pure electric "W" architecture, and plans to launch 6 new models of the "Ye" brand by 2027, showing Honda's determination to accelerate the electrification transformation in China.
"The 'Ye' brand is a new electric brand developed specifically for China, which is built by integrating China's resources and technology, inheriting Honda's consistent car manufacturing concepts such as 'MM Concept' and 'Fun of Handling', and implementing the brand accumulation of high quality, safety and peace of mind. Masayuki Igarashi, Executive Director of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., General Manager of Honda Motor Industries (China) Investment Co., Ltd., and General Manager of Honda Motor Technology (China) Co., Ltd., said in an interview with the media.
He said that Honda's "e:N" pure electric brand is based on the front-wheel drive platform, which is mainly used in small and medium-sized cars to achieve "human-vehicle integration" agile and agile driving performance, while the "Ye" brand is for the Chinese market, using a newly developed rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive platform, which is a new platform for the new generation of electric vehicles. In the future, the two brands will be sold simultaneously.
If you don't make a sound, it's a blockbuster. It's very Honda.
While Chinese brands are making their cars bigger and bigger, Honda is still sticking to the "MM concept", "people-oriented" and "driving fun" in the new electric brand. This is also Honda.
"Electric more Honda. As Yang Shuo, the first experience officer and racing driver, said, "Ye GT CONCEPT" is a product that makes people want to drive, compared with the electric vehicles on the market at present, it further sublimates the fun of electric driving, and truly embodies the three core values emphasized by the "Ye" brand - "better driving", "more fun" and "more stylish".
A colleague at the scene also said that compared with the ineffective "involution" of China's new power car companies in some niche needs, he is more looking forward to what kind of surprises Honda, which still regards electric vehicles as a driving car, will bring to Chinese consumers through the "Ye" brand.
This expectation is the greatest value of the Ye brand.
Strengthen cooperation with Chinese suppliers and carry out localization to the end
Although some people say that "China is an isolated island of electric vehicles", it is undeniable that through the promotion and development of policies in recent years, China's new energy vehicle market has become a global new energy technology highland, and has the most powerful parts supply system. Therefore, we have seen that major global car companies, including BBA, have strengthened their localized R&D and investment in China.
Honda is no exception. In the list of partners of the "Ye" brand, domestic companies such as CATL, Huawei, iFLYTEK, and Hangsheng are impressively listed. It is reported that in the future, Honda's electric vehicles will not only use CATL batteries and iFLYTEK's voice interaction, but also take the lead in using Huawei's XSCENE light field screen. It is reported that this is the first time that Huawei's light field screen has been installed in the passenger seat of the car, and it can be linked through sound, light and aroma devices.
"At present, China's automotive industry, including suppliers, is indeed at the forefront of the industry, especially autonomous driving and intelligent technology. In the case of autonomous driving, it will take some time to commercialize autonomous driving due to regulatory restrictions. In terms of intelligence, the technology of China's suppliers is indeed very strong. Igarashi Masayuki said.
Tetsuya Miyahara, Executive Vice President of Honda Motor Industries (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and Executive Vice President of Honda Motor Technology (China) Co., Ltd., added, "In terms of batteries, we have joined forces with CATL, which is a very strong manufacturer in the world, and we will continue to jointly develop and promote the models launched in the Chinese market." In terms of autonomous driving technology, Honda is the first in the world to incorporate L3 technology in a vehicle, and it has basic autonomous driving technology. We are also exploring how to choose a better partner to expand in autonomous driving, and at the same time further increase our efforts and speed up to create better products based on the needs of users in the Chinese market. ”
He said frankly that the current competition in China's auto market is very fierce in electric vehicles, especially fast charging, batteries, etc., OEM manufacturers in various fields are vigorously developing these advanced technologies, of course, Honda is also developing, and has its own ideas and promotion plans. However, in the process, Honda will adhere to its own car manufacturing principle, that is, "we must adhere to safety and quality, which is our unwavering philosophy, and then accelerate it in a planned way on this basis." ”
In addition to employing more local partners, Honda is further accelerating local R&D. It is reported that both the Ye brand and the W structure were developed by the young local team of Honda China Research Institute, and the average age of the team members is only 32 years old.
This approach is unimaginable in the past multinational car companies.
As we all know, China has become a technological highland for electric vehicles. However, some multinational car companies are reluctant to put too much R&D and procurement in the Chinese market due to concerns about the "soul" battle or out of interest considerations. A very typical case is that Apple, which has been building cars for ten years, finally had to announce that it would abandon car manufacturing because it focused its production and supply chain on South Korea.
Honda, which has always been considered "conservative", chose to develop Ye brand models through Chinese engineers and Chinese suppliers, which can be called "a small step for Honda and a big leap for the global automotive industry".
Behind the change is Honda's insight into the development process of the global automotive industry, and more importantly, Honda's determination to continue to embrace the Chinese market and Chinese users.
In 2035, 100% of the battery will be electric, and Honda will accelerate electrification
In fact, as early as last year's Shanghai Auto Show, Honda stated that "after 2027, it will not launch new pure fuel models, and in 2035, it will achieve 100% of pure electric vehicle sales in China, and 100% of global pure electric vehicle sales in 2040." ”
With the arrival of the Ye brand, Honda's ambition in the field of electrification has enough grip and focus.
Although not much has been said to the outside world, it is certain that Honda has never stopped developing and exploring electrification technology. As Masayuki Igarashi said, the Honda brand is facing two problems that need to be solved urgently: one is that it must quickly respond to the current situation of expanding the market share of new energy vehicles, and the other is that the sales of fuel vehicles are currently declining significantly, and it needs to consider whether to adjust in terms of productivity.
It is reported that as the first model of the Ye brand, the "Ye S7" and "Ye P7" will also adopt the intelligent and efficient pure electric "W" architecture exclusive to the new generation of pure electric vehicles created by Honda for Chinese consumers, and will be sold on Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda respectively at the end of this year, injecting new momentum into the transformation of the two joint ventures.
"We recognize that Honda is a little slow relative to the market in terms of new energy product camp layout. With today's announcement of the new brand and platform, we hope to accelerate our electrification strategy. Igarashi Masayuki said.
Hu Yihu, the host of the press conference, also had a very vivid explanation of the new "H" logo: "The new 'H' logo is like a person's 'open arms', embracing Chinese consumers and the future of mobility." ”
So, how to speed up electrification, Honda, which controls technology, still chooses to start with technology. Tetsuya Miyahara said, "As we all know, electric vehicles are very heavy, because they are equipped with batteries, so how to let users experience a lighter and more comfortable driving experience when their own weight is relatively large? Honda has made a lot of efforts in lightweight cars based on its long-term experience in automobile research and development, and through the integration of performance and architecture, it can meet the relatively heavy battery and driving pleasure at the same time." ”
At the same time, he revealed that Honda is working hard to develop all-solid-state batteries, which will be installed in new models between 2025 and 2030. "Honda is fully aware that solid-state batteries are a very important technology for next-generation electric vehicles, and we will promote the development and deployment of this technology based on the concept of 'safety and security.' ”
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epilogue
Reflect on my body, always think about my own mistakes, and be good at cultivating my body. This is the reason why Honda has been able to continue to lead the way over the past few decades, no matter how the industry and the market have changed. At the same time, since its founding, Honda has never forgotten its philosophy and original intention of "satisfying customers around the world."
This kind of perseverance is its strongest weapon and confidence in the face of intelligent electrification transformation. As Wu Xiaobo, the pioneer experience officer of Ye brand and a famous financial writer, said at the press conference, the Warring States era of Chinese automobiles has just begun. Although Honda is a bit behind for now, with the launch of the new platform and the launch of a new brand, it is entirely possible that Honda will return to its rightful place.
"In conclusion, we need to go all out in the future and actively respond to the rapidly changing market environment. Igarashi Masayuki said.