Honda has revealed that it remains open to the idea of bringing production back to Europe, soon after unveiling its next generation of planned electric vehicles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
The Japanese carmaker had previously been manufacturing vehicles in Europe at a site in Swindon in the UK. However, it closed the plant in 2021, citing the significant challenges of electrification and stating that it would focus production activity in regions where it expects to enjoy high sales volumes.
Read: Honda Says Saloon EV Concept Is 90% Production-Ready For 2026
While speaking with Auto Express at CES, Honda chief executive Toshihiro Mibe said that closing the Swindon site made sense at the time but appeared open to the idea of bringing production back to Europe in the future.
“The decision at the time was correct. For the future, Honda will be active in the [European] market with cars produced in the rest of the world,” he said. Asked directly if production could return to Europe, Mibe said, “It may be a possibility, but for the time being we plan to export to Europe. Nothing is decided at this point.”
Honda is venturing into a new age of electric vehicles with its new 0 Series line-up of EVs that will be headlined by a production version of the Saloon EV Concept. The company says the concept is 90% reflective of the eventual production model and it will be joined by a pair of SUVs, a sports car, and an affordable EV similar in size to the current Honda Jazz.
The company has been somewhat slow in introducing EVs across its line-up, particularly when compared to the likes of Hyundai and Kia. Sure, it had the Honda e but it was only available in select markets and has never sold in particularly high numbers. The Prologue it developed alongside General Motors is perhaps its most compelling new EV but has not yet reached the hands of customers.
