Lincoln Rival Acura May Pivot To Hybrids Soon

With demand for all-electric vehicles tapering off a bit as of late, automakers have responded by shifting strategies in a big way. That includes Ford, which has delayed the launch of certain models and has even canceled others as it pivots to hybrids, all while The Blue Oval’s luxury arm – Lincoln – isn’t planning on launching any EVs in the foreseeable future, either. Thus, it doesn’t really come as a huge surprise to learn that one of Lincoln’s chief rivals – Acura – may pivot to hybrids very soon, too.

It was only around two years ago that Acura had grand plans of launching a number of new EVs and selling them exclusively online, but according to a new report from Automotive News, Honda’s luxury division may use hybrids as something of a stepping stone in its goal of eventually reaching zero-emissions. “Our long-term plan is to sell all-electric vehicles, but we are very flexible on what that path looks like,” said Mike Langel, assistant vice president of national sales for Acura. “It could definitely be a windy road, but the end goal remains the same.”

Previously, Acura planned on skipping hybrids and moving directly into pure electrification, with a goal of selling nothing but zero-emissions vehicles by 2040. However, though EV sales continue to grow, that pace has slowed, and Honda recently upped its investment into the automaker’s Ohio EV hub to “prepare for a new level of flexible production” of hybrids, EVs, and ICE models amid “shifting customer needs and market conditions.”

As for Acura, this report indicates that its first hybrid is now slated to launch by 2027, and Langel himself confirmed that the brand is no longer planning on reaching a 60 percent EV sales mix by 2030. “There’s still a big market and we’re introducing more models, but I wouldn’t commit to a number – we’re flexible with that,” he said.