Honda Will Be Late To The Chinese Hybrid Revolution

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Everybody was betting big on electric cars in China. Everybody thought China will be the world’s biggest market for EVs. It was a bluff. At the Shanghai Auto Show in April, the smart money suddenly was on hybrids. Insiders expect that the Chinese government will extend bigger subsidies to buyers of hybrid cars, after the big electric car revolution in China turned out to be a bust. This is good for Japanese carmakers – for some at least.

Honda will delay Chinese production of hybrids for up to three years while it develops local sources for cheaper components, Affordability is critical,” a Honda spokeswoman told Reuters

The wire thinks the sudden retrenchment is because “Toyota Motor Corp said last month it was trying to source key hybrid components in China to make hybrids more affordable. Toyota said it was planning a joint venture in China with a local supplier to produce batteries for gas-electric hybrid cars.”

Reuters confirms again that “Toyota – and other automakers in China, both indigenous Chinese and foreign – gear up to try to kick-start sales of “conventional” hybrid cars in China in anticipation of policy changes aimed at boosting sales of hybrid vehicles.”

Under the old policy, China offers generous subsidies for EVs and plug-ins, but finds few takers. A change of mind towards hybrids is widely expected. Says Reuters:

“A growing number of industry insiders and experts believe Beijing will boost purchase subsidies significantly for conventional hybrids as early as this year.”

The Chinese car market tilts heavily towards cars that don’t use much gas (or “oil,” as the Chinese like to say,) but the Chinese also like a deal. Incentives on hybrids would blow that segment wide open. However, the government won’t incentivize imports from Japan, hence the race for local sources.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 3 comments
  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Jun 14, 2013

    Honda doesn't know how to build hybrids; they ought to stick with making better pure ICEs.

  • Sealed Sealed on Jul 19, 2013

    CXL-I appreciate for your kind and generous sharing.Shop online at christian louboutin mall for a great selection of christian louboutin boots, christian wedding shoes, christian louboutin ankle boots and sandals for girls,women and men with free shopping on all orders.Welcome to luxury christian louboutin sale online store.The best christian louboutin at best price, free delivery,easy returns & exchanges,100% quality guarantee!Save 82% Off.Cheap christian louboutin daffodile makes a woman's feet dazzle and shine even after the twelve strikes of midnight.Own a pair of stylish and wonderful christian louboutin is women's lifetime pursuit. We offer christian louboutin shoes online shopping by an elegant but easy way. Shopping online at discount price for red sole signature designer. christian louboutin sale is french hot brand in the world,We provide different kinds of christian louboutin.Choose the woman wearing louboutin slingback,often has realised that many men somehow to high-heeled shoes have deep interest,wear cheap christian louboutin sales shoes can easily outright conquest many men,can easily get many men worship,can easily make many men excited.In fashionable arena occupies a place of christian louboutin ankle boot forever and always makes women fascination. christian louboutin outlet foot that one wipe enthusiastic red,no matter how plain clothes,they were unable to hide the hostess as fire the lively personality. christian louboutin shoes is fashionable and beautiful, recently new appearance of new women's sandals,presenting an one colour profusion,design and material collocation also ingenuity, pretty,both restoring ancient ways,full of female lasting appeal,sweet call a person fondle admiringly NIKE name, in the eyes of Westerners was very lucky, easy to read and easy to remember,it is known. nike shoes trademark symbol of the Greek goddess of victory wings of feathers,representing the speed, but also represents a dynamic and gentle. nike australia's trademark,the pattern is a small hook shape concise,rapid as lightning,and a look reminiscent of the speed and explosiveness of nike shoes australia.For the first time named "Nike" athletic shoes, soles square convex tablets to enhance the stability, the body of the shoe on both sides of the knife-shaped curved hook,a symbol of the wings of the goddess.God's wings. nike shoes online store for Australian consumers,sell cheap nike shoes.Our aim is to let people around the world dressed in Nike. Nike as a historic brand is popular in all over the world, nike australia occupies a very important position. No matter what age the person will have a pair of nike shoes. This shows that people love the Nike. nike shoes australia's success depends largely on accurate market positioning and excellent quality. A lot of people are eager to buy cheap nike shoes, stores often only discount after last season's, how to buy a pair of cheap Nike? Now you can come to nike shoes online store. You can buy an ultra-low price of one pair of the latest nike free,Or the girls favorite nike heels! The spring came again, if you have love to choose a pair of christian louboutin shoes right now? christian louboutin pumps daffodile match herve leger bandage will make you a shine at the moment.Don't do the most brilliant and also don't do the lowest. christian louboutin sandals with its own language, confided women the curve of the gentle, sending out the mature female charm. herve leger replica a fair maiden temperament, both costly and qing li, both charm and cute. Thank you for giving the awesome suggestions for us to order. summer comes, want to follow the trend of the front line, still please read the article. christian louboutin sale and clothes, the fire and herve leger dress is popular all over the world. Women like the bandage as the sexy details, they use replica herve leger bundle out of sexy figure concave and convex have send.

  • 2ACL I'm pretty sure you've done at least one tC for UCOTD, Tim. I want to say that you've also done a first-gen xB. . .It's my idea of an urban trucklet, though the 2.4 is a potential oil burner. Would been interested in learning why it was totaled and why someone decided to save it.
  • Akear You know I meant stock. Don't type when driving.
  • JMII I may just be one person my wife's next vehicle (in 1 or 2 years) will likely be an EV. My brother just got a Tesla Model Y that he describes as a perfectly suitable "appliance". And before lumping us into some category take note I daily drive a 6.2l V8 manual RWD vehicle and my brother's other vehicles are two Porsches, one of which is a dedicated track car. I use the best tool for the job, and for most driving tasks an EV would checks all the boxes. Of course I'm not trying to tow my boat or drive two states away using one because that wouldn't be a good fit for the technology.
  • Dwford What has the Stellantis merger done for the US market? Nothing. All we've gotten is the zero effort badge job Dodge Hornet, and the final death of the remaining passenger cars. I had expected we'd get Dodge and Chrysler versions of the Peugeots by now, especially since Peugeot was planning on returning to the US, so they must have been doing some engineering for it
  • Analoggrotto Mercury Milan
Next