Honda's China Sales Plunge 25% as EV Transition Stalls, Urgent Breakthrough Needed

In 2024, Honda sold only 645,345 vehicles in the Chinese market, a year-on-year decline of nearly 25%, far below the 852,000 units sold in 2023. With the exception of the Accord and CR-V, most of its models underperformed. Although Dongfeng Honda’s S7 and GAC Honda’s P7 were successively launched, neither generated the expected market response. Meanwhile, rumors of layoffs and production line closures have frequently surfaced regarding Honda’s operations in China. The company even transferred Dongfeng Honda Engine Co. to GAC Honda’s management, highlighting the pain of its ongoing strategic realignment. As Japanese rivals like Toyota and Nissan actively adapt to China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) wave, Honda appears notably sluggish. Despite ranking eighth globally in sales volume, its “headquarters-driven” approach has become increasingly misaligned with the fast-paced, rapidly evolving demands of the Chinese market. In 2025, Honda unveiled a new brand logo and announced plans to engage in Formula 1 and hydrogen energy technologies. However, its electric vehicle roadmap for China remains vague, with its next-generation battery-electric models not expected to debut until 2027. Industry observers urge Honda to genuinely empower its local Chinese teams and strengthen domestic collaboration—otherwise, merely “staying alive” may become its sole objective in the market.