Honda recently announced thatThe pure electric model "Insight" will be officially launched in Japan on April 17.This is the first time that a Japanese automaker has imported EVs produced in China for sale in Japan, marking a symbolic reversal in the Sino-Japanese auto industry landscape.
It is understood that Insight is based on the pure electric model e:NS2 launched by Dongfeng Honda in 2024. It has been transformed into a right-hand drive for the Japanese market and the charging interface has been adjusted to Japanese standards.
The car's full-charge cruising range reaches 535 kilometers, making it Honda's longest-lasting model. The price is set at 5.5 million yen (approximately RMB 235,500), and after enjoying a 1.3 million yen subsidy from the Japanese government,The actual price is 4.2 million yen (approximately RMB 179,900), and the first batch is limited to 3,000 units.
Ken Oda, head of Honda's product planning, said that the limited number of 3,000 vehicles was set based on the scale of target customers and Honda's market share in Japan. Development manager Koike Hisahiro emphasized that the vehicles have been quality-managed in accordance with global standards and will still consider introducing overseas-produced models into the Japanese market in the future.
However, the launch of this "Made in China" EV also reflects Honda's current strategic dilemma. In March this year, Honda announced that it would suspend the development and sales of three EV models, including its flagship sedan.
Fiscal Year 2025 (ending March 2026),The final profit and loss of Honda's merger may be a huge loss of up to 690 billion yen, while there was still a profit of 835.8 billion yen in the previous fiscal year.
Honda will announce a new business strategy in May this year. Whether Insight's "reverse import" model can become a breakthrough remains to be tested by the market.