TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese car company Honda (7267.T) It said it would begin production of a new hydrogen fuel cell system co-developed with General Motors (GM.N) This year and gradually increase sales this decade, trying to expand hydrogen business.
Honda said Thursday it will target annual sales of about 2,000 units of the new system in the middle of this decade, with the goal of increasing that to 60,000 units annually in 2030.
The Japanese automaker seeks to expand the use of its new system not only for its fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), but also for commercial vehicles such as heavy trucks, stationary power plants and construction machinery.
Honda will begin production of the hydrogen fuel cell system through its joint venture with General Motors this year, Honda senior executive Shinji Aoyama told reporters during a company event in Tokyo.
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With the “next-generation” system, the company is aiming for more than twice the durability compared to the older fuel cell system and cutting costs by two-thirds.
“While commercial vehicles are being used around the world, they are likely to see electrification just as they are with passenger cars,” said Tetsuya Hasebe, general manager of Honda’s hydrogen business development division.
He added that this will likely lead to a difference in trucks that use batteries and those that run on fuel cells.
(Reporting by Daniel Lusink) Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Jamie Fried
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