Honda to phase out diesel, petrol cars in UK in favour of EVs by 2022

Japanese automotive giant Honda Motor Company has quietly moved to end sales of diesel vehicles in the UK and will phase out all traditional petrol and diesel versions of its mainstream models by 2022.

Various reports have confirmed that Honda has quietly removed its last diesel-powered model, the diesel variant of the HR-V, from sale, and according to The Times the last vehicles will be out of dealerships within a few weeks.

Honda launched its all-new Honda Jazz earlier this year, the company’s first model to go hybrid only, with its e:HEV hybrid technology onboard as standard.

This followed a 2019 statement in which the company said it would ensure 100% of its European sales would be powered by electrified powertrains by 2025, which was followed up in October by a second announcement revealing the company would accelerate this timeline to 2022.

“The pace of change in regulation, the market, and consumer behaviour in Europe means that the shift towards electrification is happening faster here than anywhere else in the world,” said Tom Gardner, Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe, speaking in October 2019.

“As the pace of change continues to accelerate, we need to act sooner to meet these challenges head-on. I’m delighted to announce that all of Honda’s mainstream models here in Europe will be electrified not by 2025, but three years earlier, by the end of 2022, just 36 months from now.”

A year later and Honda is beginning to make good on their promises, bringing forward at least part of their goals by two years.

“Honda has accelerated its plans for all its European mainstream car models to be electrified from 2025 to 2022 and our motor petrol hybrid technology will play a key role in achieving this goal,” a Honda spokesperson is quoted as saying. As such, we plan for European production of diesel powertrains to cease by the end of 2022.

“However, on a local level in the UK, we have now stopped selling diesel cars.”

Honda’s quiet move to end sales of its diesel vehicles in the UK comes only a few weeks after the company announced that it was going to part ways with the FIA Formula One (F1) World Championship as an engine supplier at the conclusion of the 2021 season, so it can focus on the transition to battery electric vehicles.

The company also announced in April that it would work with American automotive giant General Motors to jointly develop two next-generation EVs using GM’s new proprietary Ultium batteries and accompanying EV platform.

And in September, at the Auto China 2020 trade fair in Beijing, Honda presented its Honda SUV “e: concept” study for the first time,  a “fresh and fun” all-electric vehicle which would include the company’s next generation of safety and driver assistance systems.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Honda e won Best Car in the ‘New Energy’ category of the German Car of the Year Awards, beating out the Tesla Model Y, Polestar 2, and the Volkswagen ID.3.

The Driven reached out to Mazda Australia to see if it will follow a similar timeline to the UK, but did not get a response prior to publication.