Honda recently unveiled its next generation of planned electric vehicles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and has expressed interest in the idea of bringing car production back to Europe.
The Japanese carmaker had previously manufactured vehicles in Europe at a facility in Swindon, UK. However, in 2021, it closed the plant, citing significant challenges related to electrification and a focus on production in regions with anticipated high sales volumes.
During an interview with Auto Express at CES, Honda's CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, acknowledged that the decision to close the Swindon site made sense at the time but remained open to the possibility of resuming production in Europe in the future.
“The decision at the time was correct. For the future, Honda will be active in the [European] market with cars produced in the rest of the world,” he said. Asked directly if production could return to Europe, Mibe said, “It may be a possibility, but for the time being we plan to export to Europe. Nothing is decided at this point.”
Honda Saloon Concept at CES 2024
Honda is embarking on a new era of electric vehicles with its upcoming 0 Series lineup, which will include a production version of the Saloon EV Concept as its flagship model. This concept closely represents the eventual production model and will be accompanied by two SUVs, a sports car, and an affordable EV, similar in size to the current Honda Jazz.
Source: Auto Express
