Honda And GM Electric Vehicles To Share Same Platform

Sep. 08, 2021 7:13 AM ET by Karl Furlong Technology / 11 Comments

Both automakers will save on production costs in the process.

Future Hondas and Chevrolets may have a lot more in common than they do presently. That's because Honda and General Motors will be solidifying their existing relationship by teaming up for the development of future electric vehicles, some of which will share the same platform. This includes models slated for the US market. The advantage, of course, will be to keep production costs as low as possible. Sharing of vehicle platforms is a widespread trend within the automotive industry and there are many unlikely combinations, such as the Lamborghini Urus and comparatively humble Audi A4, both of which use the MLBevo platform. Honda's upcoming e:Architecture platform will also be used by GM.

The latest joint effort by Honda and GM follows last year's announcement that the two automakers would co-develop electric vehicles that will use GM's Ultium battery technology. The e:Architecture is a platform that will be used for midsize electric EVs and will now include GM models.

According to Nikkei Asia, Honda's EVs will be made with more than 50 percent of the same parts as GM models. For Honda, GM will share information on the development of larger EVs. By standardizing motors, batteries, and other major components in their EVs, both companies are positioned to reduce production costs as they transition to fully electric lineups.

GM's plan is to sell primarily zero-emission cars and trucks by 2035, while Honda will sell only battery-powered and fuel cell vehicles five years after that. Honda's transition has been a bit slower, as the only zero-emission vehicle it currently sells in the US market is the Clarity Fuel Cell. GM already has the Chevy Bolt EV and a brace of exciting models in the pipeline like the Cadillac Lyriq, Hummer EV Pickup, and Chevy Silverado 1500 Electric. One of Honda's exciting upcoming EVs is the Prologue SUV. It'll be interesting to see how much brand DNA is retained when Honda and GM's various brands launch their first EVs to share a platform.