Honda sells Chinese-made electric cars in Japan

JAKARTA - Honda began selling Chinese-made electric cars in Japan on Friday. This move shows that the manufacturer is looking for a quick way to add model options in the market in his country.

According to Kyodo News quoted Thursday, April 16, the model sold is Insight, an electric SUV-based vehicle produced through a joint venture between Honda and Dongfeng Motor Corp. in China. The specifications have been adjusted for the Japanese market. Honda is preparing sales of up to 3,000 units at a price of 5.5 million yen, or about 35,000 US dollars.

The decision to sell Insight in Japan comes as Honda is restructuring its electric car strategy. Last year, the company cut its EV investment plan for fiscal year 2030 from 10 trillion yen to 7 trillion yen. Honda cited high tariff pressures from the United States and weak global demand for electric cars as the main reasons. The company also suspended the development of three EV models for the North American market.

In Japan, the choice of Honda electric cars is still a bit. Currently, Honda is only selling two EV models, and both are in the mini vehicle category. Therefore, the addition of Insight is an important addition when the choice of models for domestic consumers is not much.

Honda said, as quoted by Kyodo News, that the Chinese-made Insight had met global safety standards. The car is also said to offer good interior quality and maintained driving performance.

This will be the second Chinese-made model sold by Honda in Japan after the Odyssey minivan. Honda also just announced it will launch the Super-ONE compact EV by the end of May.

According to Honda, the latest Insight has a range of 535 kilometers on a single charge. The car is also equipped with cabin comfort features such as a smart heating system and aroma diffuser.

The name Insight itself is not a new name for Honda. The first generation was launched in 1999 as the company's first mass-produced hybrid model.

This step of re-import is also expected to help increase the use of Honda's factory capacity in China, although the impact is said not to be large, amid sluggish sales there.

In March, Honda also said it would import two US-made models to Japan starting in the second half of 2026 to add product options in the domestic market.