Honda has made good on its promise to cease sales of combustion cars by 2040. The last one produced was in fact a hybrid model, with a miniscule 900cc gasoline engine to supplement the electric motor.

Well respected throughout the motoring world, Honda had a reputation for building compact, fuel-efficient cars that were ultra-reliable. With 30 new electric models introduced over the past 15 years, Honda has completed its transformation into an ‘electric only’ auto company. Volvo had achieved this feat years before, but with a much smaller model line-up and customer base, it was a far easier transition.

But Honda’s solid engineering skills and design mojo were not enough on their own. They needed tech resources to compete in the highly electronic world of EVs, which saw them partnering with Japanese giant Sony Corp for fresh ideas, and a whole new take on cars. Honda also collaborated with General Motors for global scale and access to batteries.

“In 2022 we saw that we could not create the future by drawing a straight line from our ‘Business of Today’ as it existed,” said Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. “We had to envision the future, and make sure our plans were flexible enough to get there as technologies progressed.”

With this kind of strategic agility and a willingness to embrace partners from completely different industries, Honda has succeeded in becoming a top seller of affordable electric cars, both in Japan and abroad.

“We’re saying goodbye to gasoline,” said the plant manager as the last one rolled off the line. “From now on we’re all electric, all the time!”