All cars sold by the company in Europe before 2025 will have an electrification option.
It’s possible to grab the 1.6-liter iDTEC Honda Civic or while it lasts. A new report by Reuters states that the automaker will eliminate all diesel engines from its European lineup as soon as 2021. Honda is moving to electrification and removing this engine from its European portfolio due to stricter emissions regulations.
This is already happening, as the Euro-spec CR-V has a hybrid powertrain to replace the diesel engine. The adorable new Honda does not have a combustion engine. Honda plans to electrify all of its Euro-lineup by 2020, and the next-gen Jazz will only be available as a hybrid.
Honda plans to gradually retire diesel engines and reduce the number model variations by a third by 2025, compared to today’s range. It also wants to cut production costs by 10% globally. The company had announced earlier this year that it would close its Swindon factory, U.K., where it produces the Civic / Civic TypeR in 2021. This will leave 3,500 people without a job. The Turkish plant will also cease production of the Civic sedan in 2021.
This restructuring will result in savings that can be used to redirect funds to research and development.
Honda isn’t the only brand to announce a shift from diesels to electrics. Volvo launched its last generation diesel engine earlier this year. They are expected to be around for at least 5-6 more years. However, this doesn’t mean diesel’s days have ended. BMW estimates that this type of ICE has approximately 20 decades remaining on the market. Therefore, in theory, you could still buy a new diesel car in 2040 despite upcoming EV boom.