Honda Inaugurates China's First NEV Factory, Ready For Electric Vehicle Production

The first NEV factory Dongfeng Honda will start production on October 11, 2024. (Photo: Honda)

JAKARTA - Honda officially operates its first New Energy Vehicle (NEV) factory in China through a partnership with Dongfeng Motor. The factory, located in Wuhan, Hubei Province, started operating on October 11, according to a CNevpost report quoted on Monday, October 14. This facility is an important milestone for Honda, as it is their first NEV factory in China.

"The plant is located in the Wuhan Economic and Technology Development Zone and covers an area of about 630,000 square meters," the company's official announcement reads.

With an annual production capacity of 120,000 units, the plant will produce two electric vehicle models in the early stages, namely Lingxi L and Ye S7. The Lingxi L model, which was launched last September, is Honda's mainstay in the electric sedan market. This sedan is priced at 129,000 yuan or around Rp279 million.

Lingxi L comes with a modern two-color body design, featuring a closed jar and vertical LED lights that give a futuristic impression. The dimension of this car reaches a length of 4,830 mm, a width of 1,845 mm, a height of 1,503 mm, with a wheelbase of 2,731 mm.

On the interior, Lingxi L offers a classy cabin with a modern feel, complete with a long screen and digital mirrors. The presence of many physical buttons on the steering wheel makes it easy for users to control the vehicle.

This car is powered by a lithium iron phosphate battery with a capacity of 59.22 kWh supplied by BYD, with a range of up to 520 kilometers based on CLTC tests. The electricity consumption is fairly efficient, which is only 12.9 kWh per 100 kilometers.

The factory's opening marks a leap forward in Dongfeng Honda's transformation towards electrification and intelligence, as well as an important milestone in Dongfeng Honda's strategic transformation, Honda said.

As part of a long-term strategy, Honda plans to launch 10 models of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in China by 2027, including series e introduced in 2022 and the Ye series by 2024. Honda is also targeting to sell all of its electric models in China by 2035, strengthening its commitment to the future era of mobility.