Honda Motor, the Japanese carmaker, has announced intentions to launch a new electric vehicle series in 2026, as it catches up with worldwide competitors in the transition to battery-powered vehicles.

Japan’s second-largest automaker has been reluctant to ramp up EV sales, trailing European and American competitors like General Motors and Volkswagen while facing competition from emerging rivals like China’s BYD.

Honda revealed its “Honda 0 Series” and two concept models at the CES trade exhibition in Las Vegas, hoping to help it achieve its goal of having battery-powered and fuel-cell vehicles account for all new car sales by 2040.

Honda executives told a December media briefing in Tokyo ahead of the announcement that the first models in its new series will be available in 2026. The series will be released globally, beginning with the North American market.

At the briefing, the executives did not reveal any details about the series, such as pricing or how many models the business will introduce as part of it, as well as how many vehicles it plans to sell.

According to corporate figures, battery-powered vehicles accounted for less than 0.5% of Honda’s global sales of around 2.8 million automobiles in the first nine months of 2023, or approximately 11,000 vehicles.

It sold approximately 10,400 of them, or roughly 93%, in China but none in North America.

Honda has previously stated that it wants to create two million EVs globally per year by 2030, with a goal of introducing 30 models driven completely by batteries by that year.

Canadian officials are meeting with Honda representatives this week, according to a government source, following press reports that the automaker was considering developing an electric vehicle plant in the country for about 2 trillion yen ($13.9 billion).

“There is a possibility that we will build a plant in Canada,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe was quoted by the Nikkei business daily as telling reporters on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

The Saloon, a sedan that could seat four or five passengers, was one of the concept models it unveiled at the CES trade exhibition.

While some aspects of its design may alter, executives acknowledged during the Tokyo briefing that the idea would likely seem very similar to how the vehicle would look in production.

The manufacturer also revealed the Space-Hub concept, a van-like vehicle that was meant to accommodate six or seven passengers, according to executives.

Honda also revealed that its new EV series will feature a revised logo with a more slanted and slimmer style than its current one.

(Adapted from CNNBusiness.com)