TOKYO: Honda Motor Co Ltd said today its joint venture in China with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co has begun building an electric vehicle factory in Guangdong province with an initial investment of 3.49 billion yuan (RM2.3bil).

The Japanese automaker is aiming to start the factory's operation in 2024, it said in a statement.

The new factory has an annual production capacity of 120,000 units.

The dedicated EV plant will support Honda's "core operation" of EV production in China, where competition for battery-driven vehicles is heating up, the company said.

Honda said another EV plant in China, in a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group, is also expected to start operations in 2024.

The Japanese automaker projected its annual automobile production capacity in China to increase by about 16% to 1.73 million units in two years.

Honda will sell electric cars in China under the e:N Series. Starting with e:NS1 and e:NP1, it will introduce 10 e:N Series models by 2027.

GAC Honda Automobile Co has begun taking reservations for the e:NP1 EV model last month.

Its other joint venture, Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., has already started selling the e:NS1 electric vehicle (EV) model in late April.

The e:NS1 and e:NP1 are the first “e:N Series” models developed as the first Honda-brand EV models in China,

The e:NS1 and e:NP1 are designed to offer a safe, comfortable and smart “space” for mobility by making various intelligence technologies available, including the Driver Monitoring Camera, which assists safe driving by detecting potential dangerous behaviour such as inattentive driving and an indication of drowsiness experienced by the driver.




As to exterior design, the new identity of the e:N Series is expressed by the luminescent “H” emblem in the front and a new “Honda” emblem in the rear which replaces the traditional “H” marque.

Both models will feature the latest connectivity technologies available in China including Honda CONNECT 3.0, the new-generation connected technology developed exclusively for EVs and a large 15.1-inch Display Audio.

They will have some level of performance based on aerodynamic styling gleaned from its development of sports models.

Honda said the e:N Architecture F platform both models are based on feature an electric motor that delivers both instantaneous output and delicate control in various driving situations, a large-capacity battery that enables a range of 510km (CLTC base in China), and dedicated body frames.

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