GS69

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...traight-to-evs

Acura wants to skip hybrids and go straight to EVs

Viknesh Vijayenthiran December 6, 2021 Comment Now!
View GalleryAcura's current flagship may be a hybrid supercar but the automaker is looking more toward battery-electric vehicles for its future lineup.

That's according to Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura national sales, who in an interview with Automotive News (subscription required) published on Monday said Acura, rather than parent company Honda, will spearhead the move into EVs.

"We're going to bypass hybrids altogether,” he said. “So our shift is going very rapidly into BEV. That's our main focus."

The transition will start as early as the 2024 model year when Acura launches an electric crossover that will be built by General Motors on its Ultium platform found in the 2022 GMC Hummer EV and 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. Honda will launch a separate electric crossover for 2024, which will also be built by GM on the Ultium platform. Honda's crossover has been confirmed as the Prologue and is expected to be smaller than the Acura crossover.


General Motors' BEV3 platform and Ultium batteries

Eventually, Acura and Honda EVs will move to Honda's own dedicated EV platform known as the e:Architecture. This platform will be used for models launching from the second half of the decade.

But while Honda will continue to launch new hybrids alongside its EVs, Acura won't. We've already seen it start to phase out hybrids with the arrival of the redesigned 2022 MDX which, unlike its predecessor, doesn't offer a hybrid option.

Acura's NSX supercar, which is also a hybrid, bows out after the 2022 model year, and Acura boss Jon Ikeda has hinted at an electric successor.

In his interview with Automotive News, Korkor said EVs fit Acura's current performance focus. He also said he expects EVs to represent upward of 60% of Acura's sales by 2030, versus about 40% for Honda.

geko29

You can't "skip" a feature that is or has been available in more than half your lineup. The article does at least mention the NSX, which is Hybrid only, but neglects the MDX and RLX which were also available as hybrids. Acura's story is that none of these vehicles ever existed? Makes no sense.

Motorola

Acura seems very eager to transition into becoming another subdivision of GM. I can only imagine the enthusiasm of the Acura dealers when they try dodging questions about why their car is badge-engineered GM product.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Here here

TangoRed

Lol that was my first thought. So bold of Acura to take the logical next step after already dabbling in hybrids for 5+ years.

Vladi

This is beyond absurd! I knew it was gonna happen since they told us TLX wont have a hybrid version but still this is baffling. Their RLX Hybrid was a really good approach and it worked quite well, better than GS450h.

Toys4RJill

Did the RLX hybrid sell well?

TangoRed

Did the RLX sell well in general?

stasek

RLX was ahead of it’s time 😂. While all flagship sedans were stuffing potent V8s under the hood, the RLX was chugging along with a V6 hybrid. Fast forward to now - what do you find under the hood in a lot of the flagships?

SW17LS

I’ve decided to skip my 20s. I feel ya Acura.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

^^ Exactly. They've already been a seller of hybrid vehicles... just not exclusively hybrid vehicles. They (well, Honda) were one of the first large manufacturers to begin offering hybrid vehicles going back to the 90's with the Insight.

As for going straight into EV's... fine but... I guess Acura is also going to revisit some more of its early roots by rebadging a GM EV SUV product just as they once did with the Isuzu Trooper being rebadged as the Acura SLX.

Given that this is Honda/Acura that we're talking about here I actually want to see some of their infamous innovation and technology showcase. They cannot be so bereft of EV R&D that they don't already have *some* of their own technology waiting in the wings that needs to scale up for production in a few years.

I would like to see the Honda Sports EV concept put into production as an Acura. Or how about going back to the styling of the 1991-1995 Acura Legend sedan AND coupe in EV offerings? Just with RWD and AWD this time.

Or how about an Acura Integra that actually looks like an Acura Integra once the current barely-rebadged-Civic-sedan-with-large-Acura-TL-aspirations version ends production? As a small three-door it wouldn't need a huge battery pack, just one that can recharge quickly enough.

Toys4RJill

This does make sense. But I think only Toyota really had the brand cache when it comes to hybrids. Lexus as a brand will dominate the hybrid sales figures. And Mercedes’ will be there too with performance options

Motorola

V8's are definitely getting axed left an right but literally the only flagship with a naturally aspirated V6 hybrid powertrain like the RLX sold here is the LS500H, a variant which almost no one buys.

stasek

When it comes to sales numbers, some good cars simply don’t sell (RLX, LS500h, Kia Cadenza, K900, Genesis - just to name a few), yet some mediocre cars sell well 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️.

Toys4RJill

The LS500h was not made for the US. Made for worldwide regions. Gas is very expensive in some parts of the world and the LS500h makes sense and sell very well.