General Motors Co. agreed to collaborate with
Honda Motor Co. on electric-vehicle batteries, expanding cooperation between the U.S. and Japanese automakers on next-generation powertrains for cleaner cars.
Honda intends to use cells and modules from the largest U.S. automaker in electric vehicles built mostly for the North American market, the companies said in a
statement. The two already have a joint venture to produce hydrogen fuel cell systems by around 2020.
The deal enables Honda, one of the automakers
most bullish about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles over plug-in cars, to get battery-powered models to market faster. GM will be able to spread development costs over Honda’s sales volume once the two companies are both selling cars.
“GM’s decades of electrification experience and strategic EV investments, alongside Honda’s commitment to advancing mobility, will result in better solutions for our customers and progress on our zero emissions vision,” Mark Reuss, GM’s executive vice president of global product development, said in the statement.
The companies didn’t say when they would start using the next-generation battery. GM has said it plans to bring 20 new electric cars to market globally
by 2023.