WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SWINDON

The new Honda EV’s Geneva unveiling came just days after the news broke that Honda was almost certain to close the Swindon factory. These events are not unconnected.

Several factors are involved (including Brexit uncertainty and a new trade agreement between Japan and the EU), but Honda says the big one is its embrace of electrification with the e Prototype and everything that will follow in its wake. Honda looked at what it needed to do in order to pursue electrification – with a hybrid or EV in every new product line, and diesels getting the boot – and decided the most e cient approach would be to focus its investment on the places where it already makes most of its cars.

Honda makes 2.3 million cars a year in Asia, 1.9 million in North America and 160,000 in Swindon, which has a capacity of 250,000. The factory employs 3500 people.

Will Swindon – which has been building cars since 1992 – definitely close? Almost certainly, but the decision that’s actually been taken is to not build the replacement for the current Civic at Swindon when that ends in 2021. In theory another role for Swindon could be found during talks with workers and unions, but don’t expect it.