EVentually! Honda Australia might not get an electric car until second-half of the decade

Honda's march towards an electric future will come much later in Australia than the rest of the world, with the first full EV model from the Japanese brand likely not coming until at least 2026.

Revealed as part of a press briefing on Honda's business transformation towards electrification, Honda has laid out its plans for electric models across three key markets – China, North America and Japan.

Given the first two regions are left-hand drive, Honda Australia is poised to take EV models out of Japan, but the first two – due to launch in 2024 and 2025 respectively – will be small kei-class vehicles unsuited to the local market.

Read More About Honda

No Honda electric cars for Australia for now... but the EVs that are coming should knock your socks off, so watch out Tesla and Hyundai! Honda Australia's electric cars are coming ... we're just not sure exactly when It's official! Sony and Honda will have an electric car ready by 2026 under the Sony Honda Mobility brand

That leaves "two small-size EV models, including an SUV type" that could get the greenlight for Down Under, but they are not due to arrive in Honda's home market of Japan until 2026.

This echoes what Honda Australia boss Carolyn McMahon told media at the local launch of the Civic Type R when quizzed about when to expect EVs from the brand.

"Not until the mid term... and we're talking years," she said.

"I'd be saying the next five years. But, having said that, we're continuing to monitor the market, [assessing] what vehicles might be available to us, what's shifting in the market… we have our set product plan periods, but we are also open to what changes happen and what opportunities there might be.

"So, I am really excited and confident that in the longer term we'll have models here in Australia, but in the medium term we think we have got it right with hybrid."

This contrasts with what Honda has committed to for the rest of the world, with North America set to receive production versions of the Prologue and Acura ZDX built in conjunction with General Motors next year.

In 2025, US customers will also be able to get their hands on a "mid- to large-size EV model" based on Honda's new E&E electric car architecture.

As for China, from next year, the e:NS2, e:NP2 and e:N SUV will hit showrooms, followed by an additional seven full EV models by 2027.

Honda has forecast that by 2035, 100 per cent of its sales in China will be in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – the first region in the world to do so for the brand and a full five years ahead of its global target.

Remember, Honda already has an EV available globally in the form of the Honda E micro hatch on sale in Europe, including the right-hand-drive UK.

This makes Honda Australia one of the most visible brands to not field an EV competitor in the near future, with even the likes of Subaru, Skoda and Ford soon coming to market with tailpipe emissions-free models.

Honda's media briefing also highlighted its commitment to carbon neutrality, advanced driver safety tech and increased vehicle connectivity, as well as plans to maintain production through the semiconductor shortage in the short- to medium-term.

In the long-term, the goal, ultimately, is to pump out two million EVs a year by 2030, and advancements in new battery technology – such as liquid lithium ion, solid state and semi-solid state – should help the brand achieve more volume with next-generation electric cars.