- Milestone marks first time Civic Hybrid has been built in Canada
- Hybrid vehicles are a key step in Honda's path to electrification where battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of North American vehicle sales by 2040
- Honda recently announced plans to establish a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada and expects electric vehicle production will begin in 2028
- Photo available: HCM's first Civic Hybrid production unit off the line
Associates at the Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) plant in Alliston, Ontario have begun mass production of the highly anticipated 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan. The Civic Hybrid is another key step in Honda's electrification strategy and is expected to represent about 60% of all Civic sales in Canada. This occasion marks an important outcome of the 2022 $1.38 billion investment upgrade project to prepare HCM's current facilities as the North American lead plant for CR-V and Civic Hybrid production.
"Honda of Canada Manufacturing is a proud, Canadian innovation story that invests strategically in technology and its associates on the path to electrification," said Jean Marc Leclerc, President and CEO of Honda Canada Inc. "Companies like Honda face much complexity and many challenges as we evolve and transition our business to an electrified future. We've accomplished a great deal so far, but we have more to do to have battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100 per cent of our North American vehicle sales by 2040. We appreciate the ongoing support from all levels of government, and the support from our suppliers, partners and dealers who have joined us on this journey."
By retooling both production lines at HCM to prepare for hybrid production, Honda maintained thousands of well-paying, high-quality jobs in Alliston and throughout Honda's extensive Canadian supplier network. Financial commitments saw a range of enhanced job training initiatives and expanded inclusive hiring practices, as well as research and development programs that further reduce environmental impacts of vehicle production. These investments have had a lasting and profound benefit for the Honda Canada dealer network, partnering suppliers, and the overall Canadian auto industry, including employees, their families, and the communities where they live and work.
"With the Civic Hybrid, all of our 4200 associates at Honda of Canada Manufacturing are now involved with Honda's electrification strategy," said Bobbi Curran, Vice President, Honda of Canada Mfg. "Hybrid production is an important step that transitions us to the EV future and we are proud to continue sharing our success while growing with the community of Alliston that HCM calls home."
Honda's Plans to Establish a Comprehensive EV Value Chain in Canada
While the hybrid production investment at HCM comes to fruition, another electrification chapter is beginning through Honda's plan to build a EV value chain in Canada, including four new plants with two of those plants to be built alongside Alliston's existing facilities.
The comprehensive EV value chain will include all aspects of EV production in Canada, from the procurement of raw materials mainly for batteries, to the production of finished EVs. Honda will leverage EV production knowledge learned at the Ohio EV Hub, combined with the abundant resources and clean energy available in Canada, to establish a stable supply system for batteries, the key component of EVs, and increase cost competitiveness of its EVs as a whole.
Honda has begun evaluating the requirements to build an innovative and environmentally responsible Honda EV plant and a stand-alone Honda EV battery plant in Alliston, Ontario.
Honda expects that electric vehicle production will begin in 2028. Once fully operational, the EV plant will have a production capacity of 240,000 EVs per year and the EV battery plant will have a capacity of 36 GWh per year. In addition to securing the current employment level of 4,200 associates at its two existing manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Honda estimates it will add a minimum of 1,000 new associates for the EV and EV battery manufacturing facilities. The investment in the new facilities will also create significant spinoff jobs across all sites, including in the construction sector.
More information on the 2025 Honda Civic can be found here and on the website: honda.ca/en/civic_sedan
To subscribe to the latest Honda Canada news and updates, please visit www.hondanews.ca.
# # #
About Honda of Canada Mfg.
Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) began production in Alliston, Ontario in November 1986 and is Honda's only manufacturing facility in Canada. HCM's plants sit on 890 acres, encompass approximately 4 million square feet, and employ 4,200 associates. The plants have the capacity to produce more than 400,000 vehicles each year combined. HCM manufactures two of Honda's best-selling models, the Honda Civic and the CR-V, and produced its 10 millionth vehicle in 2023. For more information, please visit www.hondacanadamfg.ca.
About Honda Canada
Honda Canada Inc. was founded in 1969 and is the parent company for both Honda and Acura vehicle brands in Canada. Since 1986, the company has produced Honda engines and over 10 million cars and light trucks at its Alliston, Ontario manufacturing facilities, where the Honda Civic and Honda CR-V are currently built. Honda Canada has invested over $21 billion in Canada, and each year sources over $3 billion in goods and services from Canadian suppliers. Since its inception, Honda Canada has sold over five million Honda and Acura passenger cars and light trucks in Canada through a dealer network of more than 280 dealerships across the country. For more information, please visit www.hondacanada.ca.
