Electrification is insufficient to achieve carbon neutrality

In April 2021, Honda Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe declared at his inaugural press conference that “Honda will strive to realize carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities Honda is involved in by 2050.” The term “carbon neutral” refers to a state in which the amount of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases emitted equals the amount absorbed by forests and other methods. To achieve this goal, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced drastically, and that is why there is a growing trend worldwide to shift from gasoline vehicles, which emit large amounts of CO₂, to electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). Honda is no exception.

Even if all mobility products are electrified, CO₂ will still be emitted during the production of such mobility products, as well as electricity which powers mobility products. This is where renewable energy becomes important. Power generation using renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power will not emit greenhouse gases. “If we think about the environment, renewable energy and electrification inevitably go hand in hand,” said Iwata.

Iwata, in charge of Honda energy products, bases his thinking on a sense of mission to make a lasting contribution to the global environment.

IwataWhen I became a part of the EV development team, I became keenly aware that it would make no sense at all if we kept using fossil fuels and thermal power generation to produce electricity. So, my basic idea was that if we were going to go electric, we needed to make sure that all of Honda's electric products could be powered by renewable energy.

Solar power generation, for example, can overcome the weakness of renewable energy by installing a system to store electricity generated during the daytime when more renewable electricity can be generated.

Renewable energy, however, has a major weakness. The amount of electricity generated from natural sources tends to be very unstable because it fluctuates according to natural conditions such as weather, climate and hours of sunlight. This makes it impossible to match the amount of power generation to power demand. Balancing between power generation and power demand is extremely important. When power generation is insufficient, it may cause power outages. On the other hand, when too much electricity is generated, electricity transmission may be shut down to prevent overloading the power grid and, in some cases, the excess electricity has to be dumped.

Striving to expand the use of renewable energy, Honda began tackling this major challenge with ideas unique only to Honda, a company which offers a broad range of products including motorcycles, automobiles and power products. Honda MPP is one such idea.

“Storing” and “transporting” will be the key solutions

Honda Mobile Power Pack e:

Honda believes its MPP, a portable and swappable battery, will become a key solution to increase the utilization of renewable energy. The remarkable features of MPP are its ability to temporarily store electricity and its versatility. Honda is exploring various ways to utilize MPP including use as the driving force for electric bikes and other vehicles, as a power source for snow blowers and other work machinery and as a storage battery for household use. The popularization of MPP use will increase the possibility of realizing stable energy use because MPPs can store electricity when power generation is high and supply that stored electricity when power generation is low. Nakajima, in charge of MPP business, explains how he came up with the idea of storing and transporting renewable energy.

Honda wants to deliver electricity to people who need it. Nakajima conveys Honda’s passion to emerging countries with the Honda MPP.

NakajimaIncluding the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Japan has experienced a number of natural disasters such as major earthquakes and typhoons. The power grid was disrupted, and everyone had a hard time. In the face of such disasters, I felt a desire to take electricity to people in desperate need of power, which led to the development of the MPP. Then, I thought that people living in unelectrified areas of the world might be in even greater need, and that we could take electricity to such areas outside Japan as well.

Emerging countries which still have many unelectrified areas will face an urgent need to address CO₂ emissions, which increase proportionally with electricity supply. That is why we decided to pursue renewable energy use coupled with electrification in emerging countries. I had a clear image of how this would help the earth, the world, society, and all people including myself, so I did not hesitate.

There were numerous obstacles in developing a battery that could withstand the harsh environment of emerging countries. Iwata says, “Batteries are perishables.”

IwataBatteries are easily affected by temperature. Having a high charge rate in high temperature environments leads to faster battery deterioration. India, where we conducted demonstration testing, is one of the hottest places in Asia, so batteries break if left unchecked, just like perishable foods go bad. It was not easy to overcome this problem, but Honda had the know-how amassed through the development of automobiles. Another feature of MPP is its “brain.” MPP is equipped with a BMU (Battery Management Unit) which serves as a brain of MPP. It will become possible to manage degradation by having a MPP monitor and record its own conditions and usage. We also believe that battery and data should always be linked together. By keeping track of battery data, we can plan for the secondary use (repurposing) of MPP as storage batteries for household use and other life creation products. And by predicting degradation, we can further enhance the safety of our MPP.

In the pursuit of excellent usability, the entire development team worked as one and went through a trial and error process. The team refined MPP by making no compromise to safety and usability. Meanwhile, Nakajima was flying around Asia to arrange and conduct demonstration testing of MPP.

Ensuring blue skies for our children through renewable energy and electrification

In India, rickshaws are a vital means of transportation in people’s daily lives.

In demonstration testing in India, a total of 30 units of tricycle taxis, so called “rickshaws” that are a vital means of daily transportation for people, were electrified with MPP and driven more than 200,000 km in commercial operation. There are eight million rickshaws operating in India. So, by moving forward with the electrification of rickshaws and the use of renewable energy, we can move so much closer to carbon neutrality.

This is a major project that aims to significantly change the energy environment in Asian countries. While the project involves a lot of difficult interaction and coordination with various parties related to the government of each country and the United Nations, local partner companies and rickshaw drivers were very cooperative from the very beginning.

NakajimaWe were encouraged by the positive attitude of the people who were directly involved in this project, and willing to cooperate with us. It may have been curiosity toward new things, but I think the most important thing was that they shared our passion. The founder of Honda, Soichiro Honda, was a man who loved people and valued contributing to society. So, I believe that if we express such values as Honda, people in any countries will understand us. Perhaps people felt Honda is doing this testing not to make money, but because it is Honda’s mission to do this for the good of society.

The demonstration testing in India was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with support from the local people.

Demonstration tesing in India

NakajimaJapanese staff could not visit the test site due to the pandemic. The project seemed to be in jeopardy, but our local partners took the lead, and we managed to complete the testing. We were just lucky to meet with the people who cooperated with us. In 2022, we will formally start the battery sharing business in India. We would like to continue using our technology to contribute to improve the daily lives of the people who support us, and to leave blue skies for our children of the future.

ーーーーHow will the initiative to couple renewable energy with electrification be brought from Asia to Japan?

IwataWe are considering the secondary use (repurposing) of MPP that are degraded after being used in a battery sharing business as the power source of other products and as storage batteries for household use. For example, MPP can be used to store surplus electricity generated by solar power at home and enable the use of stored surplus electricity at home when needed. Moreover, we are currently developing the Honda Power Pod e:, which turns MPP into a portable power source suitable for outdoor use or for use as a backup power source during a disaster. If the same battery can be used for various devices, there would be no need to buy batteries for each device. Depending on how they are used, I think MPP has infinite possibilities.

Example of the secondary use of MPP as a power source for outdoor use or as a backup power source during a disaster. By using two MPPs in parallel, operating time can be extended.

Renewable energy coupled with electrification can improve our daily lives and contribute to solving environmental issues. But, if we really want to achieve carbon neutrality, we must look further ahead.

IwataWe are currently discussing the standardization of batteries and their swapping systems with other companies in the industry. I believe that trying new things as a pioneer has historically been Honda's corporate culture. Honda developed the CVCC engine (low-pollution engine) in 1972, becoming the first company in the world to comply with the Muskie Act (the U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970), which strictly regulated automobile exhaust emissions. Honda’s pioneering efforts contributed to moving the entire industry forward and, thus, to the global environment. When I was young and having a drink with my boss, I told him that I was frustrated that other companies copied the layout of an engine design I had created. He replied, “No, you should be happy. If they copy you, go do the next thing,” which has become my motto. If Honda’s pioneering effort gets widespread use in society, Honda will do the next thing. I personally believe that this is the meaning of Honda's existence in society.

Honda continues to do “the next thing.” This spirit and corporate culture of Honda has been resulting in a number of unique technologies. Honda's environmental initiatives using such technologies go hand in hand with other companies inside and outside of the automobile industry. Honda has been co-developing micro excavators powered by MPP with Komatsu Ltd. and is conducting joint experiments with Rakuten Group on automated delivery robots, among other initiatives. Honda will continue to take on the challenge of expanding the potential of mobility and people’s daily lives with MPP.

With MPP at the core, Honda aims to realize an environmentally-responsible joy and freedom of mobility.

*Interview and photography conducted while observing COVID precautions.