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Honda, Acura EVs will adopt Tesla's NACS charging port

CARMEL, Calif. — As more and more automakers pledge to install TeslaÂ’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports on their electric vehicles, Honda says that it, too, will hop on the bandwagon. Future EVs from Honda – as well as its luxury division, Acura – will have NACS charging setups, giving these cars access to TeslaÂ’s huge network of Supercharger stations. "It is quite important," American Honda Motor Co. President and CEO Noriya Kaihara said in an interview Friday. "We also have to push NACS, as well. It is clear." As for when this will happen, Honda is currently at the mercy of General Motors. The Japanese automakerÂ’s next two EVs – the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX – use shared architecture with GM, leveraging The GeneralÂ’s excellent Ultium battery technology. The ZDX will launch first, and have the traditional CCS port that isnÂ’t compatible with TeslaÂ’s chargers, but it will switch to the NACS design in 2025 or 2026. "We clearly depend on GM," Shinji Aoyama, Executive Vice President of Honda Motor Co., said during Friday's interview. "Once they [switch to NACS], this will follow for ZDX, as well." Looking to the future, Honda is part of a joint venture with seven other global automakers that will see the installation of more than 30,000 EV fast-charging stations across the United States and Canada. The chargers are still in development, but Honda says the companies are all aligned on the core values that are needed to make this charging network successful.  "The software needs to be really reliable and really open infrastructure so it communicates with every OEM's software," Jay Joseph, American Honda's Vice President of Sustainability and Business Development, said in Friday's interview. "The hardware needs to be capable of the highest levels of charging. It needs to be secure, it needs to be reliable, it needs to be accessible." Joseph said the current public charging companies know and understand the shortcomings with their systems, and that TeslaÂ’s Superchargers set an example of how to do chargers right. "If you look at what's so great about the Tesla Supercharger network, it's the maintenance," Joseph said. "They stay on top of it, they've got someone onsite monitoring the equipment, they're monitoring it electronically and remotely, and they fix it – fast. That's probably the most important thing." All the more reason for Honda – and other automakers – to switch to the NACS charging setup as quickly as possible.

2022 Acura ILX dies this year, replaced by Integra

In August 2021, Acura brand officer John Ikeda told Motor Trend, "Integra is not a replacement for ILX but Integra is our entry gateway vehicle. We don't plan on having something below that." Seems what he meant is that the Integra shouldn't be viewed as a new-generation of the ILX, because the Integra is replacing the ILX in every other way. In a video podcast on YouTube, two podcast hosts at Serra Acura said, "The Integra is replacing the ILX. That has been the clear message from them without saying the ILX is going away." Motor1 asked the Japanese luxury brand about the statement, getting the reply, "The 2022 model year is the final model year for the ILX, in anticipation of the new Integra." The Acura spokesperson then followed up with, "The new Integra was developed from day 1 to deliver on the original lineage that began with Integra back in 1986 ... and will be the new entry point to the brand." This is in the vein of Ikeda's comment, where we're not meant to connect the Integra to the ILX, but see the two models as distinct branches in the family tree, like cousins by marriage instead of siblings. Acura wants this Integra to be seen as a delayed new generation for the lineup that ended in 2001 if you're a purist, or 2006 if you're willing to let the RSX into the house. The effect today is still the same, the distinction unimportant. The 2022 ILX is the final model year for the 10-year-old sedan, which has sold more than 2,000 units in the U.S. in a single month only once since October 2013. The new entry-level vehicle is the Integra, priced a touch above the ILX at around $30,000.   With Integra pre-orders expected to begin March 10, the real surprise is how much we have let to learn about the coming hatchback. We're looking forward to the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder up front, its output still unknown. That 2.4-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder in the ILX makes 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, the Integra's 1.5-liter produces 200 hp and 192 lb-ft in the Honda Civic Si. We'd love for the Acura to get its due and make a noticeably more power than the Si. We know the Integra will offer a six-speed manual, but the automatic gearbox option remains a mystery. And other than checking out the interior of a static Integra on display at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, we're missing a whole bunch of details on features and amenities. We expect the blanks to get filled in soon. Related video: 2022 Acura NSX Type S revealed

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S will have 320 horsepower

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is launching this summer, but the teaser and information drip campaign is officially in full swing.  Acura just let on that the Integra Type S will produce 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. For reference, that’s 5 horsepower more than what the Honda Civic Type R makes — its 310 pound-feet of torque figure is the same as the Type R. We make such a comparison, as all the information Acura has dribbled out so far about the Integra Type S has us thinking that itÂ’s going to be very similar to the Type R. The second bit of information Acura revealed today is an approximate reveal window. The final car and all the specs we want are expected to drop at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The race takes place over the April 14-16 weekend, and while we donÂ’t know exactly what day the Type S will be revealed yet, our bet would be for Friday or earlier that week, so Acura can show off the car in person to race fans all weekend long. The teaser photos and teaser video (see directly above) give us a little design and sound preview for the Type S. Just like the camouflaged car, the undisguised version is rocking massive fender flares in both front and rear. These will allow Acura to fit the big 265-section-width tires it has in store for the Type S in addition to giving it a super-aggressive look. The photos also show off a carbon fiber rear lip spoiler, carbon mirror caps, a glimpse at the large rear diffuser and a prominent Type S badge on the front fender.  As for the sound preview, the Integra Type S breathes through a triple-outlet exhaust and sounds far more menacing than the Civic Type R does from the factory. There are even some loud pops and bangs on the overrun that you can hear. For those going frame-by-frame on the video, youÂ’ll also notice the car is painted in AcuraÂ’s Tiger Eye Pearl paint. WeÂ’ve seen this shade on both the TLX Type S and MDX Type S, so it looks like the trend is continuing for Type S models. Look out for more teasers as we approach the final reveal for the Integra Type S, but you wonÂ’t have to wait long because the reveal is well under a month away now. Related video: