AutoBeta(AutoBeta.net)06/05 Report--

On June 5, Honda China announced terminal car sales in May. Data show that Honda's cumulative sales of terminal vehicles in China in May were 101321, an increase of 13.7% over the same period, of which Guangzhou Auto Honda sold 54408 vehicles, up 15.5% from a year earlier. So far, Dongfeng Honda has not officially released specific sales, but it is not difficult to estimate that Dongfeng Honda sold 46913 vehicles in May.

Data show that Honda's cumulative sales of terminal cars in China from January to May this year were 416558, down 22.58% from a year earlier, with sales of 64193, 74142, 82041, 94879 and 101321 respectively from January to May. According to the data, although Honda's sales in China are increasing month by month, it is far less than expected, and Honda China is still in a state of 22.58% year-on-year decline in the previous May.

The decline in Honda sales in China is blamed on its "enigmatic speed" in the new energy sector. In a sense, this is indeed a major factor affecting sales. In 2022, Honda launched a number of new models in China, including two pure electric models, the e:NP1/e:NS1, which belong to the EVOR N brand, but the market performance of these two models was not satisfactory after their launch. Retail data show that from January to April this year, e:NP1 sales were 102,44,883,404 respectively, while e:NS1 sales were 608,924,554,131 respectively. In short, these two models will not drive Honda's sales in China.

At present, Honda's sales in China are still dominated by traditional fuel vehicles. In April, for example, the highest sales were Accord, with 25600, followed by CR-V, with 11800, followed by Haoying, with 7863, and the rest with less than 7000.

On May 20, the new generation Accord of Guangzhou Automobile Honda officially launched, the new car launched a total of seven models with fuel version and plug-in version, the price range is 179800-258800 yuan, and the power provides a choice of fuel version and plug-in hybrid power. among them, the model L15CH/L15CJ 1.5T turbocharged engine has a maximum power of 141kW and a peak torque of 260Nm, and the transmission system matches the CVT continuously variable transmission. In addition, the gas-electric hybrid model will be equipped with a hybrid system composed of 2.0L naturally aspirated engine and motor, with a maximum power of 109kW and a peak power of 135kW, matched with an E-CVT gearbox. As Honda's main sales force in China, the new generation of Accord may boost Honda's sales in China, but it is increasingly difficult for Honda to sell fuel vehicles in China.

As one of the three giants of the Japanese system, Honda has had a hard time in the Chinese market over the past year. Honda's terminal sales in China in 2022 were 1.3731 million, down 12.1% from the same period last year. Officials say the decline is due to repeated COVID-19 epidemic, tight supply of spare parts, rising prices of raw materials and other factors. However, the industry believes that the main reason for Honda's decline in sales in China is that fuel vehicles are becoming more and more difficult to sell and electric cars are not popular. Although Honda has renovated its main models, including XR-V, CR-V, colorful Intelligence and Haoying, these models have certainly accumulated a certain degree of reputation and brand awareness in the domestic market, but with the growing calls for de-fueling and the sharp increase in competitive pressure in China's auto market. The lack of power of the refurbished models has also led to a decline in Honda's sales in China.

At present, China's automobile market is undergoing a transformation from fuel vehicles to electric vehicles, and the development of new energy is in full swing. Independent brand car companies such as BYD and Geely are constantly making efforts in the field of new energy electrification. Obviously, Honda China has also realized that if you want to go further, relying solely on fuel cars is not a long-term solution.

At the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, Honda China announced that it would fully enter the electric era. After 2027, all Honda models launched in China will be hybrid and pure electric vehicles, and will no longer launch new pure fuel models. By 2035, Honda China will account for 100% of pure electric vehicle sales. At the press conference, Honda China launched three pure electric vehicles in the world, including the e:NP2, which will be launched by GAC Honda in early 2024, and the e:NS2, which will be launched by Dongfeng Honda in early 2024. In addition, Honda China has also unveiled the concept car "EVA N SUV Preface" and "ERV N GT Concept", which will adopt the new exclusive structure of EV "EVV N Architecture W" and are scheduled to be launched in 2024 and 2025 respectively. As for whether Honda can stir up a new spark in China at that time, we might as well wait and see.

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