Honda (HMC.US) launches its first "Made in America" electric vehicle equipped with AI self-driving software.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR announced the release of two electric vehicle prototypes produced in the United States, signaling the company's plan to launch a wave of new electric vehicle models in the coming years. However, if demand continues to wane, the automaker may slow down its investment in electric vehicles. Honda stated on Tuesday that the two models - a sedan and an SUV - will be produced at a factory in Ohio and will be available for sale in the United States starting early next year. These are the first batch of 30 new electric vehicles that Honda plans to launch globally by 2030. The company's goal is to achieve 100% zero-emission vehicle sales in North America by 2040, but also noted that it is willing to change its strategy if demand for electric vehicles continues to weaken. This situation may be exacerbated if President-elect Trump fulfills his threat to eliminate tax credits for electric vehicles. Katsushi Inoue, Senior Managing Director in charge of electric vehicle business development at Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Sponsored ADR, stated in an interview, "While some investment plans may be delayed as growth slows, we have not changed our intention to bring more electric vehicles to the market. Electric vehicles will become mainstream over a longer period of time." At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Toyota Motor Corp. Sponsored ADR showcased nearly production-ready models of a new series sedan and mid-size SUV, both equipped with the internal operating system Asimo for advanced driver assistance features. The automaker's factory in Marysville, Ohio, will begin production of these electric vehicles this year, in addition to producing traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. The electric vehicles will utilize batteries produced in a joint venture factory with LG Energy Investment, which invested $4.4 billion. Honda is also investing $11 billion in Ontario to produce electric vehicles and has received billions of dollars in financial aid from the Canadian government. Inoue stated that Honda does not expect the subsidy program to change after Prime Minister Trudeau announced his resignation plan. Honda also announced on Tuesday that it will collaborate with Renesas Electronics Corp. of Japan to develop a high-performance system-on-chip for use in the new series vehicles by the end of the century. The chip aims to simplify vehicles by integrating various functions into a single electronic control unit. The goal of the two companies is to develop a system that achieves "one of the top artificial intelligence performance in the industry" based on Honda's artificial intelligence software.