logo
Honda Australia's first EV to launch in 2026, but what will it be?

Honda Australia's first EV to launch in 2026, but what will it be?

The Advertiser15 hours ago
Honda Australiais set to launch its first electric vehicle (EV) in the second half of 2026, but the brand hasn't confirmed what it will be – though one particular vehicle appears the most likely.
It has announced its interest in the 0 Series EVs – due on sale in the US in early 2026 – for a local launch "beyond 2026 and into 2027". Before that, however, it has committed to introducing an unspecified EV in the second half of 2026.
A range of EV models from around the world are at the brand's disposal, potentially, with Jay Joseph moving from Honda USA after 27 years to take over as Honda Australia CEO in April 2025.
Mr Joseph told CarExpert his internal network at Honda means he's already in talks on which vehicles from the global lineup could work here, increasing the chances of a local berth for many previously out-of-reach overseas models.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
The company also sees its biggest growth opportunities in SUVs, the dominant sector in Australia since 2017 as popularity of traditional passenger cars has declined.
That makes the Honda e:Ny1, an electric SUV already offered in the UK and New Zealand, an odds-on favourite for Honda Australia showrooms.
While the e:Ny1 sold in the UK is made in China, the New Zealand version is made in Thailand, where various Australian Honda models have been sourced for decades.
Based on the HR-V small SUV already sold here, the e:Ny1 starts at $NZ52,000 (A$47,450) compared to the HR-V's $NZ45,800 (A$41,800) kick-off, and uses a 150kW/310Nm front-axle mounted motor and a 68.8kWh lithium-ion battery for 500km of range on the more lenient NEDC cycle.
It's unclear if Mr Joseph's North American ties will give the 2025 Honda Prologue large electric SUV, co-developed with US car giant General Motors, a greater chance for a local debut.
The Prologue is likely to be more expensive than anything currently in Honda Australia's showrooms, given it's larger than anything Honda currently offers here, and uses a GM platform shared with vehicles such as the Cadillac Lyriq.
In the US, it starts at around 50 per cent more than the entry-level Honda CR-V, with its business case made more challenging by its current left-hand drive-only production in Mexico.
Another possibility for Australia – but also left-hand drive-only at present – is a new generation of Honda EVs announced in China in 2024, with the first models now in showrooms there.
The Honda Ye Series announcement included plans for six models to be launched specifically for China by 2027, joining the previously launched e:N Series of EVs already in Chinese showrooms.
The first Ye Series were the P7 and S7 SUVs, both using a new dedicated 'Yunchi' electric architecture and using lithium-ion batteries made by CATL.
Honda is also developing new battery tech with CATL, the automaker having started an assembly line earlier in 2025 to test mass-production of cheaper, longer-range solid-state EV batteries.
The P7 and S7 are both 4750mm long, or slightly longer than the CR-V SUV currently in Australian showrooms, and feature a single rear-axle motor, 89.8kWh battery and 650km of driving range on the CLTC cycle.
Both currently start at ¥199,000 ($AU42,482) in China, around the same as the highest-spec Zeekr X SUV, which in Australia tops out at $64,900.
The third Ye Series model, the fastback Honda GT, was launched in April 2025.
In its home market, Honda also has an electric kei-class van, and recently revealed the N-One e electric passenger car. However, while these are built in right-hand drive, these are likely too small for our market.
While Honda pulled back on its target to have 30 per cent of its global sales be EVs by 2030, the automaker remains committed to a Net Zero goal by 2050 by any means.
MORE: Honda Australia looks to China, US for new vehicles
MORE: Explore the Honda Australia showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Honda Australiais set to launch its first electric vehicle (EV) in the second half of 2026, but the brand hasn't confirmed what it will be – though one particular vehicle appears the most likely.
It has announced its interest in the 0 Series EVs – due on sale in the US in early 2026 – for a local launch "beyond 2026 and into 2027". Before that, however, it has committed to introducing an unspecified EV in the second half of 2026.
A range of EV models from around the world are at the brand's disposal, potentially, with Jay Joseph moving from Honda USA after 27 years to take over as Honda Australia CEO in April 2025.
Mr Joseph told CarExpert his internal network at Honda means he's already in talks on which vehicles from the global lineup could work here, increasing the chances of a local berth for many previously out-of-reach overseas models.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
The company also sees its biggest growth opportunities in SUVs, the dominant sector in Australia since 2017 as popularity of traditional passenger cars has declined.
That makes the Honda e:Ny1, an electric SUV already offered in the UK and New Zealand, an odds-on favourite for Honda Australia showrooms.
While the e:Ny1 sold in the UK is made in China, the New Zealand version is made in Thailand, where various Australian Honda models have been sourced for decades.
Based on the HR-V small SUV already sold here, the e:Ny1 starts at $NZ52,000 (A$47,450) compared to the HR-V's $NZ45,800 (A$41,800) kick-off, and uses a 150kW/310Nm front-axle mounted motor and a 68.8kWh lithium-ion battery for 500km of range on the more lenient NEDC cycle.
It's unclear if Mr Joseph's North American ties will give the 2025 Honda Prologue large electric SUV, co-developed with US car giant General Motors, a greater chance for a local debut.
The Prologue is likely to be more expensive than anything currently in Honda Australia's showrooms, given it's larger than anything Honda currently offers here, and uses a GM platform shared with vehicles such as the Cadillac Lyriq.
In the US, it starts at around 50 per cent more than the entry-level Honda CR-V, with its business case made more challenging by its current left-hand drive-only production in Mexico.
Another possibility for Australia – but also left-hand drive-only at present – is a new generation of Honda EVs announced in China in 2024, with the first models now in showrooms there.
The Honda Ye Series announcement included plans for six models to be launched specifically for China by 2027, joining the previously launched e:N Series of EVs already in Chinese showrooms.
The first Ye Series were the P7 and S7 SUVs, both using a new dedicated 'Yunchi' electric architecture and using lithium-ion batteries made by CATL.
Honda is also developing new battery tech with CATL, the automaker having started an assembly line earlier in 2025 to test mass-production of cheaper, longer-range solid-state EV batteries.
The P7 and S7 are both 4750mm long, or slightly longer than the CR-V SUV currently in Australian showrooms, and feature a single rear-axle motor, 89.8kWh battery and 650km of driving range on the CLTC cycle.
Both currently start at ¥199,000 ($AU42,482) in China, around the same as the highest-spec Zeekr X SUV, which in Australia tops out at $64,900.
The third Ye Series model, the fastback Honda GT, was launched in April 2025.
In its home market, Honda also has an electric kei-class van, and recently revealed the N-One e electric passenger car. However, while these are built in right-hand drive, these are likely too small for our market.
While Honda pulled back on its target to have 30 per cent of its global sales be EVs by 2030, the automaker remains committed to a Net Zero goal by 2050 by any means.
MORE: Honda Australia looks to China, US for new vehicles
MORE: Explore the Honda Australia showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Honda Australiais set to launch its first electric vehicle (EV) in the second half of 2026, but the brand hasn't confirmed what it will be – though one particular vehicle appears the most likely.
It has announced its interest in the 0 Series EVs – due on sale in the US in early 2026 – for a local launch "beyond 2026 and into 2027". Before that, however, it has committed to introducing an unspecified EV in the second half of 2026.
A range of EV models from around the world are at the brand's disposal, potentially, with Jay Joseph moving from Honda USA after 27 years to take over as Honda Australia CEO in April 2025.
Mr Joseph told CarExpert his internal network at Honda means he's already in talks on which vehicles from the global lineup could work here, increasing the chances of a local berth for many previously out-of-reach overseas models.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
The company also sees its biggest growth opportunities in SUVs, the dominant sector in Australia since 2017 as popularity of traditional passenger cars has declined.
That makes the Honda e:Ny1, an electric SUV already offered in the UK and New Zealand, an odds-on favourite for Honda Australia showrooms.
While the e:Ny1 sold in the UK is made in China, the New Zealand version is made in Thailand, where various Australian Honda models have been sourced for decades.
Based on the HR-V small SUV already sold here, the e:Ny1 starts at $NZ52,000 (A$47,450) compared to the HR-V's $NZ45,800 (A$41,800) kick-off, and uses a 150kW/310Nm front-axle mounted motor and a 68.8kWh lithium-ion battery for 500km of range on the more lenient NEDC cycle.
It's unclear if Mr Joseph's North American ties will give the 2025 Honda Prologue large electric SUV, co-developed with US car giant General Motors, a greater chance for a local debut.
The Prologue is likely to be more expensive than anything currently in Honda Australia's showrooms, given it's larger than anything Honda currently offers here, and uses a GM platform shared with vehicles such as the Cadillac Lyriq.
In the US, it starts at around 50 per cent more than the entry-level Honda CR-V, with its business case made more challenging by its current left-hand drive-only production in Mexico.
Another possibility for Australia – but also left-hand drive-only at present – is a new generation of Honda EVs announced in China in 2024, with the first models now in showrooms there.
The Honda Ye Series announcement included plans for six models to be launched specifically for China by 2027, joining the previously launched e:N Series of EVs already in Chinese showrooms.
The first Ye Series were the P7 and S7 SUVs, both using a new dedicated 'Yunchi' electric architecture and using lithium-ion batteries made by CATL.
Honda is also developing new battery tech with CATL, the automaker having started an assembly line earlier in 2025 to test mass-production of cheaper, longer-range solid-state EV batteries.
The P7 and S7 are both 4750mm long, or slightly longer than the CR-V SUV currently in Australian showrooms, and feature a single rear-axle motor, 89.8kWh battery and 650km of driving range on the CLTC cycle.
Both currently start at ¥199,000 ($AU42,482) in China, around the same as the highest-spec Zeekr X SUV, which in Australia tops out at $64,900.
The third Ye Series model, the fastback Honda GT, was launched in April 2025.
In its home market, Honda also has an electric kei-class van, and recently revealed the N-One e electric passenger car. However, while these are built in right-hand drive, these are likely too small for our market.
While Honda pulled back on its target to have 30 per cent of its global sales be EVs by 2030, the automaker remains committed to a Net Zero goal by 2050 by any means.
MORE: Honda Australia looks to China, US for new vehicles
MORE: Explore the Honda Australia showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Honda Australiais set to launch its first electric vehicle (EV) in the second half of 2026, but the brand hasn't confirmed what it will be – though one particular vehicle appears the most likely.
It has announced its interest in the 0 Series EVs – due on sale in the US in early 2026 – for a local launch "beyond 2026 and into 2027". Before that, however, it has committed to introducing an unspecified EV in the second half of 2026.
A range of EV models from around the world are at the brand's disposal, potentially, with Jay Joseph moving from Honda USA after 27 years to take over as Honda Australia CEO in April 2025.
Mr Joseph told CarExpert his internal network at Honda means he's already in talks on which vehicles from the global lineup could work here, increasing the chances of a local berth for many previously out-of-reach overseas models.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
The company also sees its biggest growth opportunities in SUVs, the dominant sector in Australia since 2017 as popularity of traditional passenger cars has declined.
That makes the Honda e:Ny1, an electric SUV already offered in the UK and New Zealand, an odds-on favourite for Honda Australia showrooms.
While the e:Ny1 sold in the UK is made in China, the New Zealand version is made in Thailand, where various Australian Honda models have been sourced for decades.
Based on the HR-V small SUV already sold here, the e:Ny1 starts at $NZ52,000 (A$47,450) compared to the HR-V's $NZ45,800 (A$41,800) kick-off, and uses a 150kW/310Nm front-axle mounted motor and a 68.8kWh lithium-ion battery for 500km of range on the more lenient NEDC cycle.
It's unclear if Mr Joseph's North American ties will give the 2025 Honda Prologue large electric SUV, co-developed with US car giant General Motors, a greater chance for a local debut.
The Prologue is likely to be more expensive than anything currently in Honda Australia's showrooms, given it's larger than anything Honda currently offers here, and uses a GM platform shared with vehicles such as the Cadillac Lyriq.
In the US, it starts at around 50 per cent more than the entry-level Honda CR-V, with its business case made more challenging by its current left-hand drive-only production in Mexico.
Another possibility for Australia – but also left-hand drive-only at present – is a new generation of Honda EVs announced in China in 2024, with the first models now in showrooms there.
The Honda Ye Series announcement included plans for six models to be launched specifically for China by 2027, joining the previously launched e:N Series of EVs already in Chinese showrooms.
The first Ye Series were the P7 and S7 SUVs, both using a new dedicated 'Yunchi' electric architecture and using lithium-ion batteries made by CATL.
Honda is also developing new battery tech with CATL, the automaker having started an assembly line earlier in 2025 to test mass-production of cheaper, longer-range solid-state EV batteries.
The P7 and S7 are both 4750mm long, or slightly longer than the CR-V SUV currently in Australian showrooms, and feature a single rear-axle motor, 89.8kWh battery and 650km of driving range on the CLTC cycle.
Both currently start at ¥199,000 ($AU42,482) in China, around the same as the highest-spec Zeekr X SUV, which in Australia tops out at $64,900.
The third Ye Series model, the fastback Honda GT, was launched in April 2025.
In its home market, Honda also has an electric kei-class van, and recently revealed the N-One e electric passenger car. However, while these are built in right-hand drive, these are likely too small for our market.
While Honda pulled back on its target to have 30 per cent of its global sales be EVs by 2030, the automaker remains committed to a Net Zero goal by 2050 by any means.
MORE: Honda Australia looks to China, US for new vehicles
MORE: Explore the Honda Australia showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ASX set to edge lower on RBA day as Wall Street drifts
ASX set to edge lower on RBA day as Wall Street drifts

The Age

time19 minutes ago

  • The Age

ASX set to edge lower on RBA day as Wall Street drifts

US stocks are drifting around their record heights on Monday as Wall Street waits for an upcoming update on inflation. The S&P 500 fell 0.1 per cent and is just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones was down 171 points, or 0.4 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 per cent, coming off its own record. Wall Street is bracing for the next inflation update. Credit: Bloomberg The Australian sharemarket is set to slip, with futures at pointing to a fall of 12 points, or 0.1 per cent at the open. The ASX added 0.3 per cent on Monday. The Australian dollar was 0.1 per cent lower at US65.12¢ at 5.12am AEST. Reporting season continues, with Seven West Media among the companies due up on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank is expected to announce an interest rate cut at 2.30pm AEST on Tuesday afternoon. The highlight of this week for Wall Street is likely to arrive on Tuesday, when the government will report how bad inflation was across the country in July. Economists expect it to show U.S. consumers had to pay prices for groceries, petrol and other costs of living that were 2.8 per cent higher in July from a year earlier, a slight acceleration from June's 2.7 per cent inflation. Loading Inflation has remained above 2 per cent, even if it has improved substantially from its peak above 9 per cent three years ago. And the worry is that President Donald Trump's tariffs could push it higher. That in turn is raising fears about a potential, worst-case scenario called 'stagflation' where the economy stagnates but inflation remains high. The Federal Reserve has no good tool to fix both at once, and it would need to concentrate on either the job market or inflation first. But helping one of those areas by moving interest rates would likely hurt the other. A top Fed official, Michelle Bowman, said on Saturday that she believes the job market is the bigger concern. She is still backing three cuts to interest rates by the Fed this year following this month's stunning, weaker-than-expected report on the U.S. job market. Trump himself has also been angrily calling for cuts to interest rates to support the economy.

ASX set to edge lower on RBA day as Wall Street drifts
ASX set to edge lower on RBA day as Wall Street drifts

Sydney Morning Herald

time19 minutes ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

ASX set to edge lower on RBA day as Wall Street drifts

US stocks are drifting around their record heights on Monday as Wall Street waits for an upcoming update on inflation. The S&P 500 fell 0.1 per cent and is just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones was down 171 points, or 0.4 per cent, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 per cent, coming off its own record. Wall Street is bracing for the next inflation update. Credit: Bloomberg The Australian sharemarket is set to slip, with futures at pointing to a fall of 12 points, or 0.1 per cent at the open. The ASX added 0.3 per cent on Monday. The Australian dollar was 0.1 per cent lower at US65.12¢ at 5.12am AEST. Reporting season continues, with Seven West Media among the companies due up on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank is expected to announce an interest rate cut at 2.30pm AEST on Tuesday afternoon. The highlight of this week for Wall Street is likely to arrive on Tuesday, when the government will report how bad inflation was across the country in July. Economists expect it to show U.S. consumers had to pay prices for groceries, petrol and other costs of living that were 2.8 per cent higher in July from a year earlier, a slight acceleration from June's 2.7 per cent inflation. Loading Inflation has remained above 2 per cent, even if it has improved substantially from its peak above 9 per cent three years ago. And the worry is that President Donald Trump's tariffs could push it higher. That in turn is raising fears about a potential, worst-case scenario called 'stagflation' where the economy stagnates but inflation remains high. The Federal Reserve has no good tool to fix both at once, and it would need to concentrate on either the job market or inflation first. But helping one of those areas by moving interest rates would likely hurt the other. A top Fed official, Michelle Bowman, said on Saturday that she believes the job market is the bigger concern. She is still backing three cuts to interest rates by the Fed this year following this month's stunning, weaker-than-expected report on the U.S. job market. Trump himself has also been angrily calling for cuts to interest rates to support the economy.

Anthony Albanese's Palestine stand the latest low in US-Australia relationship after Labor's repeated attacks on Donald Trump
Anthony Albanese's Palestine stand the latest low in US-Australia relationship after Labor's repeated attacks on Donald Trump

Sky News AU

time19 minutes ago

  • Sky News AU

Anthony Albanese's Palestine stand the latest low in US-Australia relationship after Labor's repeated attacks on Donald Trump

The state of the relationship between President Donald J. Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is not only strained - it is nearly non-existent. The diplomatic coldness that now exists between the leaders of two long-standing allied nations is largely the result of political miscalculation on Mr Albanese's part. Now that Trump is in his second term, with control of the White House and a renewed mandate from the American people, Mr Albanese finds himself in the awkward position of needing a meeting with a man he publicly insulted and who, to this point, has declined even to meet him once. In 2017, Mr Albanese admitted that Trump 'scares me', while in 2020 Australia's now-ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd called Trump 'the most destructive American president in history'. These lines may have played well in left-wing media circles, but they were short-sighted. At the time, Mr Albanese likely assumed Trump's political relevance would fade after the 2020 election. Like many global progressives, he misunderstood Trump not just as a person but as a political force. He failed to grasp that Trump's movement had roots in widespread discontent with globalism, political elitism, and unchecked bureaucracy - forces that would return Trump to the White House in 2024 with even stronger resolve than before. The diplomatic cost of that miscalculation is now concrete. In April 2025, the US imposed a 10 per cent baseline 'reciprocal tariff' on most Australian goods, effectively overriding the near-zero-rate access Australia enjoyed under the AUSFTA. By early June, Australian steel and aluminum exports faced a 50 per cent tariff, up from the exemption status under Trump's first term. Trump's tariffs have the potential to wreak havoc on Australia's economy. The US is the fifth largest partner destination for Australian goods exports, which totalled almost $24 billion in 2024. Compounding the pressure, the US has floated tariffs as high as 200 per cent on pharmaceuticals, raising alarm because Australia's pharmaceutical exports alone were worth $2.1 billionlast year. The Albanese government had hoped its longstanding alliance and trade surplus with the US would earn it favourable consideration, but those hopes have been dashed. The White House refused to exempt Australia from the steel and aluminum tariffs, even rejecting a proposal that offered Australia's critical minerals as leverage. Australia wants concessions. But Mr Albanese is approaching a president who neither forgets slights nor sees value in rewarding a leader who went out of his way to insult him. Now the Australian Prime Minister has defied the US and Israel to recognise Palestine, a declaration that will only deepen the tensions between Canberra and Washington DC. In the transactional world of Trump diplomacy, respect is currency and Mr Albanese has none to spend. In contrast, other world leaders, even those with differing ideological views than Trump, have managed to navigate the President's second term with pragmatism. They've sought personal rapport and ensured that lines of communication remained open. Leaders like India's Narendra Modi and France's Emmanuel Macron may not agree with Trump politically, but both have a strong relationship with the US President because they understand that he responds best to those who treat him as an equal instead of an adversary. There is also a broader issue at play: Mr Albanese continues to act as though Trump's presidency is an aberration, rather than a reflection of a lasting shift in American political identity. In February, when asked to respond to Trump's statements that outlined a different vision of America's role in the world, Mr Albanese said disparagingly: 'I'm not going to provide a running commentary on statements by the President of the United States.' Mr Albanese's attitude seems to assume that Trump's term is simply another blip, or unfortunate temporary phase, rather than the continuation of a durable political realignment in the US. Trump represents a populist-nationalist current that is reshaping not just the US, but the Western alliance system as a whole. Leaders who ignore this, or who denigrate it, do so at their own peril. At the same time, Mr Albanese rejected the Trump Administration's request to increase Australia's defense spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Mr Albanese dismissed the idea, calling the requested benchmark an arbitrary 'magic number'. With global tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific, it is more important than ever that Australia remain in lockstep with its primary strategic partner. That becomes increasingly difficult when the US President views the Australian Prime Minister as irrelevant, or worse, hostile. There is still a narrow window for course correction. If Mr Albanese wants to secure tariff relief and avoid being shut out of defense cooperation upgrades, he must first earn Trump's respect. That may involve a public acknowledgment that past rhetoric was inappropriate, or at least a strong, unequivocal signal that Australia is ready to deal on equal terms. It will also require outreach to Trump-aligned US lawmakers and key administration officials, who can serve as intermediaries in building a strong relationship between the two leaders. But more than anything, it will require humility - something in short supply among leaders who have spent years publicly criticising Trump. Ultimately, repairing the diplomatic freeze between Trump and Mr Albanese will come down to respect and readiness to act in the national interest. Mr Albanese failed to understand President Trump and dismissed the political movement he represents. The PM now finds himself asking for favours from a man who has no reason to grant them. It's a cautionary tale of ideology blinding leadership, and a lesson that others in the international community would do well to learn. Kristin Tate is a US-based writer. She pens a weekly column for The Messenger focused on federal spending and has written three books, the most recent of which is titled 'The Liberal Invasion of Red State America'. She is a contributor for Sky News and appears weekly to discuss US politics

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store