Acura has just revealed the revived RSX nameplate, but not in the way you remember it. It’s now a fully electric crossover, far from the coupe that replaced the long-running Integra nameplate in the US. While it appears as if Acura is going all-in with its electrification strategy – that 60% of its sales will be fully electric by 2030 – Honda’s luxury arm has actually made a significant announcement otherwise.
In a media roundtable, American Honda CEO Kazuhiro Takizawa said that the company will maximize ICE and hybrid production in North America to meet current customer needs, The Drive reports.
“We will max production of ICE and hybrid models to meet the needs of our customers in North America. This means extending key ICE models and adding hybrid products. Our strategy to invest in flexible production in our EV hub in Ohio is proving very smart. This will enable us to make ICE, hybrid, and EV models on the same production lines, and adjust production fluidly based on customer demands,” said Takizawa.
Weak Demand And Inconsistent Government Policies
The announcement echoes a previous confirmation of upcoming Acura hybrid models. In an interview earlier this year, Assistant Vice President of National Sales Mike Langel said that Acura’s previous goal to go all-electric was outdated. To recall, Acura boldly said that it would skip hybrids and just jump right to EVs with long-range batteries. Now, the updated strategy is a complete 180 from that claim, which aligns with Honda’s current notion about carbon neutrality.
Takizawa provided some insights into the change of plans. According to the head honcho, the weak demand for EVs in the US played a huge role, saying that “it’s not realistic,” presumably referring to the fact that Acura’s previous goals are not doable anymore, given the current numbers. He also pointed out the inconsistent government policies, though he didn’t specifically mention the upcoming abolition of federal tax credits for EVs.
Not Completely Abandoning EVs
That said, Acura isn’t completely backpedaling from EVs. Takizawa even referred to American Honda’s investment in the Ionna network – the collaboration between eight automakers to build fast-charging stations in America that will complement Tesla’s Supercharger network. Of note, the Acura ZDX is the only EV currently available in the automaker’s US offerings, to be joined by the RSX in the second half of 2026. With the NSX leaving the lineup in 2022, Acura doesn’t have any hybrid vehicle right now.
Acura isn’t the only luxury marque that has completely changed its plans for electrification. Genesis has a similar strategy for the US market, announcing in April that it’s well on board the hybrid hypetrain. However, the South Korean brand said it would do it differently by offering extended-range EVs (EREVs) instead of full HEVs. Meanwhile, Lexus has been successfully killing it with its hybrid lineup, while also offering a not-so-stellar EV nameplate.
Source: The Drive