Japan’s Honda Motor Co said it will begin production of a new hydrogen fuel cell system co-developed with General Motors Co this year and gradually ramp up sales this decade as it seeks to expand its hydrogen business.
Honda will target annual sales of around 2,000 units of the new system by the middle of this decade, the company said on Thursday, with a goal of increasing that to 60,000 units a year in 2030.
The Japanese automaker is looking to expand the use of its new system not only for its own fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), but also commercial vehicles such as heavy trucks, as stationary power plants and in construction machinery.
Honda will begin production of a hydrogen fuel cell system through its joint venture with GM this year, Honda CEO Shinji Aoyama told reporters during a company event in Tokyo.
With the “next-generation” system, the company aims to more than double the lifespan of its older fuel cell system and cut costs by two-thirds. “While commercial vehicles are used around the world, they are likely to see electrification just like passenger cars,” said Tetsuya Hasebe, general manager of Honda’s hydrogen development division.That would likely lead to differences between battery-powered trucks and fuel-cell trucks, he added.
