this post was submitted on 05 May 2026
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cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/63799437

all 42 comments
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[–] AGM@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago

A Kodak moment.

[–] gummi134@fedinsfw.app 27 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Meanwhile, they're investing instead even more into Hydrogen. For some reason. Despite 20+ years of Hydrogen proving it will never be a viable consumer option. Same with Toyota.

[–] Kichae@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

That's pretty clear why: If electric is the future, they don't have one. They've decided they cannot compete in that space. They have to gamble on H2, because it's either be a leader there, or die a slow death.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Meanwhile, they’re investing instead even more into Hydrogen.

uh, no. That project was part of the GM joint venture that ended. Both companies are developing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for industry and fleets where electric is not practical.

[–] i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca 17 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Adios, Honda.

Any company doubling down on fossil fuels in 2026 is fucking toast. Did Mazda ever clue in and come up with an d strategy?

As a kid I just assumed all these giant car companies would be around forever. That their leadership knew how to stay in business and read the tea leaves.

Apparently I was wrong. They’re stupid af.

[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 13 points 2 days ago (4 children)

They're not really doubling down on fossil fuels. They're just going into hydrogen fuel cells instead. But, Toyota tried that and it's not working. The Japanese are incredibly stubborn for these things.

Meanwhile, China is coming with a new solid state battery for E.V.s that will revolutionize everything. Fast charging up to 80% within 5 min. Temperature doesn't affect the efficiency, will allow for longer range and is also safe against punctures as they don't catch on fire like conventional batteries.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works -1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

It's because hydrogen is superior to electric batteries in terms of ease of storage, range, filling up, and probably even energy use.

The issue is there's no infrastructure for it like we have for electric. Everyone can charge their car at home. Not everyone is willing to invest in a huge hydrogen electrolysis system at home to refuel.

You got sources for these claims?

[–] blarth@thelemmy.club 3 points 2 days ago

BYD Flash charging is sick as fuck.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The Japanese are incredibly stubborn for these things

They’re not stubborn, they don’t have a choice. The Japanese electrical grid is antiquated and stressed to the breaking point. A massive consumer migration to EVs would cause total collapse.

There aren’t any easy solutions either. The Fukushima nuclear disaster has made the situation even worse, both by reducing the amount of generation capacity and by constraining policy (new nuclear plants are politically untenable now).

Renewables seem like the obvious answer, but the grid infrastructure isn’t good there. There’s No storage capacity, nor is there any geographic redundancy. Japan is a country of 122 million people crammed into a few small islands. When the sun stops shining, it stops shining for the whole country. When the wind doesn’t blow, it doesn’t blow for the whole country. This means if they become dependent on a lot of renewables they become susceptible to multiple-day blackouts, with potentially severe consequences in the winter.

[–] farmgineer@nord.pub 4 points 22 hours ago

There's a lot wrong with this.

new nuclear plants are politically untenable now

Was the case but not so much now, especially as rising prices and inflation are crunching families. Several parties now include at least reviving shut-down plants that are safe to do.

the grid infrastructure isn’t good there

Could you elaborate here?

When the sun stops shining, it stops shining for the whole country

We're not that small, even going on the main islands alone.

When the wind doesn’t blow, it doesn’t blow for the whole country.

And this is just plain wrong for a number of climate and geographical reasons.

I've lived in Japan for more than a decade both in greater Tokyo and rural Tohoku in addition to traveling all around it.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago

, China is coming with a new solid state battery for E.V.s that will revolutionize everything.

every week those stories come out. Will be too expensive for most people if/when they ever actually appear.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I thought the previous financial crisis in 2008 was at least a wake up call, I mean look at the story that is Stellantis today. It's nutty. Quite silly. So obviously shooting yourself in the foot.

Unless someone like BYD in China is making moves to buyout Honda's Automotive branch

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago

YD in China is making moves to buyout Honda’s Automotive branch

BYD is very near broke.

Do you guys get all your info from Youtubers?

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Y'all are silly if you think Honda is going to go bankrupt if they dont invest in electric cars.

Honda is not a CAR company, its an ENGINE company. They dont just put them into cars, they build motorcycles, rototillers, lawnmowers, pressure washers, generators, outboards, scooters, ATVs, side by sides, snowblowers, water pumps, a ton of general purpose industrial motors AND they make jets. They might know a thing or two about engines that EV lovers haven't figured out yet - the money is still in gas engines.

[–] chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean......they could just make electric engines. Ya know.....motors. Something they ALREADY MAKE for hybrid vehicles.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Honda probably can't make electric engines. Honda's specialty is indeed ICEs for all those things he's listing. Unfortunately for them, they're bound to keep losing market shares in all those sectors because electric propulsion is technically superior and getting cheaper. Honda is an ICE company that's well diversified beyond automobiles, but electric propulsion will crush ICEs in all those sectors. Yes Honda's ICEs in all sectors will be crushed like Slurpees 🤣

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 21 hours ago

Electric engines are just an electric motor bro, they already make those

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Honda probably can’t make electric engines.

You know they make satellite orbit rockets? Right?

[–] DanVctr@sh.itjust.works 3 points 22 hours ago

I'm on your side, but I think their point was more "the investment for switching from ICE to electric manufacturing would be extremely costly in time and money across the board", not "Honda doesn't have engineering capabilities like this"

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca -4 points 1 day ago (3 children)

"crushed" like Slurpees. I think not.

The first commercially available EVs were out in the 90s. The first really successful EV was the Prius, which started production in 97 so almost THIRTY years ago. There is no "crushing" going on, there is a slow adoption by niche buyers. EVs will continue to be like diesel cars in north America - loved by a few but never mainstream.

I've owned an EV since 2018 (along with 5 ICE vehicles). For all the drum beating and hype, they're not making much headway in Canada. Its a cool little car for what it does, but the fact is they're limited by a few killer factors. In order for them to be mainstream they are going to have to a) be cheaper, b) have comparable range to ICE, c) have a comparable 'fill up' time of 5-6 minutes on road trips, d) lose far less range in very cold weather, e) have ubiquitous charging infrastructure and f) make them able to tow trailers a comparable distance. Until all that happens they will continue to be a minority choice for the average buyer.

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Dude, the second the Ford lightning was available in BC they were everywhere, Canada has massive EV adoption rates as we have some of the cheapest power. EVs are incredibly popular in Canada.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca -1 points 19 hours ago

LOL. The Ford Lightning? C'mon man, keep up with the news. Ford cancelled the Lightning in Dec 2025 due to poor sales. They're still making the gas F150 which is their bread and butter. 90% of new car buyers do NOT choose an EV and with the subsidies dropping sales are going DOWN not up.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 3 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Crushed lik a bug: https://www.autonext.co/news/denmark-s-ev-revolution-over-94-of-private-car-buyers-now-choose-electric

Your points are the typical nonsense of an ICE car promoter from 10 years ago.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca -1 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

We're on lemmy.ca, a CANADIAN site. European buyers are a whole different beast, especially since most live in countries that you can drive across in a day or less, not the second largest country in the world like Canada.

Lets try CANADIAN stats: "In 2025, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—which include battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles—accounted for approximately 8.7% of all new motor vehicles sold in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. This represented a significant decrease in market share from the 13.8% recorded in 2024, partly due to the removal of federal and provincial purchasing incentives."

They just dont sell unless they are propped up by taxpayer funds. I rest my case. I know what Im talking about - Ive been buying and selling vehicles in Canada for 45 years.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 2 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Country size is irrelevant and you know it. Daily commute is what matters. Few people even have time to drive more 2 hours daily and EVs are more than enough winter range for that (2 hours at 100km/h means around 200 km). In Canada, we also have electricity to charge at home overnight. Cheers.

[–] CanadianCorhen@lemmy.ca 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

My new EV has 520km range, which is higher than my ICE car had, so i think that the whole 'EV's have lesser range' is just innacurate now.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 19 hours ago

I agree. But some people still try to sell ICE by giving misleading information.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 0 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Its indeed relevant for quite a few people. If you are going to buy ONE car, you need one that does everything you need it to do. That means your daily commute AND the annual trip to see nana at Christmas and the kids basketball tournament in another province. For a SECOND car to commute they make sense.

[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

The EVs I know of can easily do all that as a first and only car. You seem to be restricting yourself to the worst EVs you can think of. Bye now.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 19 hours ago

Yes, if you dont mind stopping for 40 minute recharges twice on a trip to nana's, they can. Lots of people find that extremely annoying, especially when the charging infrastructure anywhere off the main routes in Canada is dicey and careful trip planning becomes a necessity in case a charger is down, or its not one that takes your payment system.

EVs are good for commuting, they're clearly and obviously NOT ideal for road trips/vacationing which is why people still post "Hey look I made it all the way to Newfoundland and back with my EV" in 2026 because thats literally a feat of courage, determination and planning. Some of us just like to drive and enjoy the view and not worry about how to refuel :)

[–] Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

EVs don't need to beat petrol vehicles in every way, in the same way that a sedan doesn't have to beat a minivan, or a laptop doesn't need to beat a smartphone.

a) EVs are getting relatively cheaper every year, while all vehicles are getting more expensive. b) They have range far in excess of what 90% of people use in a day. c) You can rent a vehicles for road trips if you really want to drive non-stop for dozens of hours at a time. d) Cold weather range isn't too bad, and batteries usually condition themselves now. EV's have a cold weather advantage in that they don't need to idle for 10-15 minutes to prevent danage to the engine. e) Charging infrastructure is already ubiquitous, you can plug them into any electrical outlet and charge dozens of kilometers overnight. That's zero fill-up time. Most residential parking infrastructure already has available plugs for block heaters and such, basically only street parking would ve annoying here. If you regularly drive more than dozens of kilometers in a day, you can get a larger charging plug from residential circuits, like clothes driers and ovens use, for a few hundred dollars, and all but guarantee a full charge every night. f) All else being equal EVs have better torque for towing, and unless the trailer is a giant billboard they don't effect highway efficiency too much. Most importantly, 90% of people never tow anything.

EVs have different strengths and weaknesses to petrol vehicles, and the millions of people who commute under 40 miles a day would find an EV cheaper and easier to own. EVs have many of the same weakness as petrol vehicles however, and insisting they have to fill the same niches makes that worse. You don't need to be reliant on fill stations, or have gigantic vehicles. EVs are best for smaller vehicles anyway, and smaller vehicles are better for roads and people's safety.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 1 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Then explain to me (and remember Im an EV owner) why In 2025, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—which include battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles—accounted for only 8.7% of all new motor vehicles sold in Canada. Thats DOWN from over 13% the year before after most of the rebates dropped. Obviously, with 92% of new buyers NOT choosing them, they're not appealing to many, especially since they've had about 30 years to convince people.

[–] HertzDentalBar@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 20 hours ago

People don't buy new cars every year.... And MVs sold probably also include fleet purchases.

[–] CanadianCorhen@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

Just bought my first EV, it was a bit steeper, but i expect to save $40,000 in maintenance and gas over the same 12 years i owned my previous car.

Cant imagine ever going back to ICE.

I'm curious where you are getting the sales drop, i see an increase: https://electricautonomy.ca/data-trackers/ev-sales-data/2026-03-13/zev-sales-in-canada-rise-to-11-2-per-cent-market-share-in-q4-2025-statscan/

New ZEV registrations across Canada hit 11.2 per cent market share in Q4 2025, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.

While that is an increase over the 9.7 per cent market share of ZEVs from Q3 2025, it represents a drop in overall volume.

If i had to guess why, its due to the incentives starting to wind down (such as BC droping its sales tax rebate), the cost offset is reducing.

[–] LoveCanada@lemmy.ca 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Those are registrations of EVs not sales, so it includes all EVs sold to date. The actual sales of new EVs are declining says Stats Canada:

"Zero-emission vehicle sales: In 2025, 169,972 ZEVs were sold in Canada, a decline of 35.7% from 2024. This sharp decrease was likely influenced by changes to federal and provincial ZEV incentive programs. In particular, the suspension of the federal Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program in January 2025, along with the reduction of rebates offered under Quebec's Roulez Vert program, likely contributed to lower ZEV demand in 2025.

In 2025, new ZEVs accounted for approximately 8.7% of all new motor vehicles sold in Canada. Again, this represents a significant decline from 2024, in which ZEVs accounted for 13.8% of new motor vehicle sales."

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/260316/dq260316c-eng.htm

There's nothing wrong with EVs for certain tasks, particularly commuting to work. But the uninformed claims that EVs are taking over gas cars and that a company is doomed if it doesnt jump into EVs is just silly. They're clearly NOT preferred by most buyers - and our north American automotive history is littered with many EV startups that have already tried and gone bankrupt. I think Lucid is on the brink just this week, and we've already seen Fisker, Canoo, Lordstown, Coda, Proterra, LION busses, Sparrow, Faraday and Nikola bite the dust. Electra Meccanica SOLO was designed and started in BC and its done too.

I even have a tiny bit of money invested in an EV startup but after 7 years of struggle Im heavily doubting they'll make it to mass market.

[–] CanadianCorhen@lemmy.ca 1 points 17 hours ago

I definitely think if they were cost comprable, and they are headed in that direction, they will be the preferred option, but i agree that its happening a lot slower than I expected.

Thanks for the links!

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca -4 points 1 day ago

The man buns of Lemmy are upset when companies aren't making EVs no one is buying.

The ratio of ICE to EV sales in NA is over 15:1. hOnDa iS gOiNg bRoKe.

Meanwhile, in Shanghai...

[–] onlyhalfminotaur@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

Fuck Honda. Even Toyota is seeing the light finally.

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago
[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

Honda won’t last long.