Honda targets 120,000 unit EV production capacity at new Chinese plant

Honda Motor in China has announced it will be building a new vehicle plant in China with its joint venture partner, Dongfeng.

Closing in on 18 years in partnership with each other, the Dongfeng Honda Automobile facility will house a 630,000 square metre plant in the Hubei Province's Wuhan Economic Development Zone.

Aimed at becoming the main production facility for Honda's China-only electric vehicles, the manufacturer says it targets an annual capacity of 120,000 units to roll off the production line, potentially becoming operational as early as 2024.

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With its current annual production capacity of 720,000 units, the addition of the new plant will boost its output by just over 15 per cent, although as the manufacturer moves away from internal combustion engines, it could be a main facility for its EVs.

Looking to keep things in-house, the new plant will cover every stage of a vehicle's production cycle from stamping, welding, painting and assembly to complete vehicle inspection.

It's likely the facility will be the home of production for Honda's recently announced e:NP1 – a fully-electric version of its popular HR-V small SUV, slated to launch around the same time as the new factory becomes operational.