Hybrids help Honda, while Nissan suffers empty-handed

Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. have made different bets on the powertrain du jour — hybrids.

Honda's strategy of adding hybrids to high-volume models including the CR-V, Accord and Civic has boosted the company's market share as consumers flock to the decades-old technology. Hybrids accounted for half of U.S. Accord and CR-V sales in the first half of the year.

"It's a great option for those not ready to make a full transition," said Lance Woelfer, American Honda's new vice president of auto sales.

Nissan won't get its first hybrid model until early 2027, when the next-generation Rogue crossover arrives in dealerships.

As Nissan hurries to bring hybrid models to market, the automaker is delaying the launch of a wave of next-generation electric models.

Nissan will build two sedans and three crossovers at its Canton, Miss., factory for the Nissan and Infiniti brands and for alliance partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp., which is overhauling its portfolio.

By 2030, Mitsubishi expects to muscle up its U.S. lineup with a fleet of new or updated combustion engine, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-only models. Mitsubishi will enter the U.S. passenger van market toward the end of the decade.

Honda's $4.4 billion electric vehicle and battery hub in Ohio will begin assembly in 2025, though the first vehicle won't reach the market until 2026. The automaker is spending $700 million to retool three plants to produce EVs and components and building a battery factory from the ground up as part of a $3.5 billion joint venture with LG Energy Solution.

The first vehicle to emerge from the EV hub is expected to be an Acura compact crossover in early 2026, followed by a Honda compact crossover in mid-2026 and an Acura three-row crossover at the end of the year.

Also expected in 2026 is an electric sedan from the new brand Afeela, part of a joint venture between Honda and Sony Corp.