Honda is reportedly turning to Tata Technologies for a new global vehicle platform, marking the Japanese automaker’s first known partnership with an Indian engineering company for platform development.
Honda Motor Company has tapped Tata Technologies to develop an entirely new architecture for its vehicles, marking a departure from its usual in-house development methods. The new platform will be able to support different types of powertrains, including internal combustion engines, hybrids and battery-powered electric vehicles.
The development comes as Honda looks to rethink its global product strategy and reduce the cost and time involved in developing new vehicles. The company is increasingly looking at collaborations outside its organisation to improve its competitiveness.
New platform to support multiple powertrains
According to reports, Tata Technologies will undertake the end-to-end engineering process for Honda’s new vehicle platform. The architecture will be flexible enough to accommodate internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric powertrains.
The new platform is intended for Asian as well as other markets around the globe, although North America is excluded from the programme. Honda has not revealed which upcoming models will use the new architecture.
The partnership is significant for another reason. Honda has traditionally developed its core vehicle platforms and chassis largely in-house. Its reported tie-up with Tata Technologies would therefore mark the first known instance of the Japanese carmaker working with an Indian engineering company on vehicle platform development.
When asked about the programme, a Honda spokesperson did not provide any specific details about the project. The company said only that it was exploring collaborations outside the organisation to increase its competitiveness.
Cost and development time are key factors
The timing of the partnership is interesting, with Honda currently reviewing its global product roadmap and looking for ways to make vehicle development more efficient.
Working with an outside engineering partner could help Honda reduce both the cost and the time needed to develop a new vehicle architecture. Tata Technologies, meanwhile, will reportedly be responsible for the end-to-end engineering work on the platform.
It could let Honda’s internal teams focus on product planning and other areas while using an established engineering partner for a big chunk of the platform development.
What does this mean for India?
There are also implications for Honda’s future plans in India. According to reports, the carmaker plans to launch 10 new vehicles in the country by 2030. The planned products are expected to include the upcoming 0 Alpha electric SUV, a sub-4m SUV and a new mid-size SUV.
It is not yet clear whether any of these models will use the new architecture being developed with Tata Technologies. Honda has not confirmed the application of the platform to any specific upcoming model.
For Tata Technologies, however, the reported project is significant in its own right. Engineering a vehicle architecture for a global automaker such as Honda would give the Indian company another major international programme and strengthen its position as an automotive engineering partner.
