Acura’s present flagship could also be a hybrid supercar however the automaker is wanting extra towards battery-electric autos for its future lineup.
That is in keeping with Emile Korkor, assistant vp of Acura nationwide gross sales, who in an interview with Automotive Information (subscription required) revealed on Monday mentioned Acura, moderately than mum or dad firm Honda, will spearhead the transfer into EVs.
“We will bypass hybrids altogether,” he mentioned. “So our shift goes very quickly into BEV. That is our principal focus.”
The transition will begin as early because the 2024 mannequin yr when Acura launches an electrical crossover that can be constructed by Basic Motors on its Ultium platform discovered within the 2022 GMC Hummer EV and 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. Honda will launch a separate electrical crossover for 2024, which can even be constructed by GM on the Ultium platform. Honda’s crossover has been confirmed because the Prologue and is anticipated to be smaller than the Acura crossover.
Basic Motors’ BEV3 platform and Ultium batteries
Finally, Acura and Honda EVs will transfer to Honda’s personal devoted EV platform generally known as the e:Structure. This platform can be used for fashions launching from the second half of the last decade.
However whereas Honda will proceed to launch new hybrids alongside its EVs, Acura will not. We have already seen it begin to section out hybrids with the arrival of the redesigned 2022 MDX which, not like its predecessor, does not supply a hybrid choice.
Acura’s NSX supercar, which can be a hybrid, bows out after the 2022 mannequin yr, and Acura boss Jon Ikeda has hinted at an electrical successor.
In his interview with Automotive Information, Korkor mentioned EVs match Acura’s present efficiency focus. He additionally mentioned he expects EVs to characterize upward of 60% of Acura’s gross sales by 2030, versus about 40% for Honda.