Honda Taiwan has officially launched the Japan-imported All New Civic e:HEV for the Taiwanese market, at an event on April 15 held by the company's new president Shin Saito.
During his remarks in his first public appearance since taking the helm of Honda Taiwan in April, Saito stressed that Taiwan has always been one of Honda's key markets in the Asia Pacific region. In addition, Honda is undergoing a major transition to better adapt to massive shifts in the global automotive industry.
To highlight Honda's technical value and expertise, Honda Taiwan will continue to introduce new products to the local market. In addition, Honda Taiwan will help promote local development of electric vehicles through its e:HEV system, in accordance with market trends and increased consumer awareness for environmentally friendly solutions.
The All New Civic e:HEV serves as the start of a new era for Honda Taiwan, as it will continue to introduce new models equipped with the e:HEV system over the next six months to meet local demand for advanced, energy-efficient models. According to Saito, Honda Taiwan aims to promote its e:HEV technology in the local market, as part of the brand's efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Civic is one of Honda's global strategic models, with more than 27.5 million sold since its debut. In addition to the All New Civic e:HEV, Honda Taiwan plans to launch an additional three models in the third and fourth quarters this year, a sign of the company's ambitions for the Taiwanese market.
Honda Taiwan's current lineup includes the CR-V, HR-V, Fit, and Civic, while its assembly plant in Pingtung County currently handles welding, painting, and vehicle assembly processes, producing models including the CR-V, HR-V, and Fit with an annual capacity of roughly 35,000 vehicles.
In response to recent debates concerning Taiwan's tariffs on imported cars, Honda Taiwan notes that no conclusions can be drawn given the ongoing volatile situation, while the launch of new product models demonstrates the company's commitment to the local market.
As one of Taiwan's seven leading vehicle manufacturers, Honda Taiwan was one of the participants at the emergency meeting on April 9 held by the Taiwan Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers Association (TTVMA), in response to the turbulence caused by the US's constantly evolving tariff announcements.
According to the TTVMA, lowering tariffs on fully assembled vehicle imports will severely impact Taiwan's automotive industry, potentially causing massive disruption to the supply chain, forcing investments to withdraw due to lack of confidence, and ultimately weakening Taiwan's influence and competitiveness in the global automotive supply chain. The collapse of the local industrial chain could potentially result in the closure of 2,500 factories, with 300,000 workers losing their jobs.
Article translated by Kevin Wang and edited by Jack Wu
