Honda will cull all its non-hybrid petrol and diesel models from its European range by 2022.

    Autocar reports the target date was confirmed by Honda Motor Europe senior vice president Ian Howells.

    “It [Honda’s line-up] will be a combination of full electric and hybrid,” he said.

    “Obviously, if the legislation starts to move as we approach 2035, or transitions away from hybrid as well, then we’ll move our technology away from that.”

    In Europe, Honda currently offers hybrid versions of the Jazz and CR-V, while the NSX halo model is available exclusively as a hybrid.

    That leaves the soon-to-be replaced Civic and HR-V without a hybrid option, which suggests both models could get one soon. The alternative is Honda withdraws from two of the highest-volume segments in Europe.

    The Civic was available with a hybrid in its ninth generation, though the current, tenth generation lacks an electrified option.

    Honda sells the Insight and Legend hybrids in some markets, as well as hybrid versions of its Accord and Odyssey and plug-in hybrid versions of the CR-V and Clarity.

    None of these are sold in Europe, though that market does receive the pure-electric e hatchback.

    Honda offers just one hybrid model in Australia, the Accord sedan, though it’s previously offered the hybrid Insight and hybrid versions of the Jazz and Civic.

    It removed the NSX from the local line-up this year.

    Mr Howells has committed to an array of different power options for Honda, highlighting the role of hybrids as a transition technology while electric vehicles still carry a significant price premium.

    “There’s a role to play for e-fuels, for biomass, for hydrogen, to some degree for conventional fuels, and also batteries,” he said.

    Though it isn’t available in Europe, the hydrogen fuel-cell Honda Clarity is part of the company’s line-up in the US.

    The company recently announced it’ll offer two electric vehicles in the US based on General Motors’ new electric vehicle architecture and also debuted an all-electric SUV concept in China called the SUV e, though it hasn’t revealed any technical specifications.

    A spokesperson from Honda Australia said, “The possibility for Honda to introduce this model in other regions is currently being discussed, but nothing has been confirmed and no further details are available at this point in time.”

    The company has also yet to confirm the e hatchback for a local launch.

    William Stopford

    William Stopford is an automotive journalist based in Brisbane, Australia. William is a Business/Journalism graduate from the Queensland University of Technology who loves to travel, briefly lived in the US, and has a particular interest in the American car industry.

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