Honda Motor Co. is ending U.S. production of the all-electric Acura ZDX, a spokesperson for the automaker confirmed in an email to Automotive Dive on Wednesday. Dealers have been notified that they will receive no further allocations of the vehicle.
The automaker’s move comes as EV sales have cooled and regulatory shifts led many vehicle manufacturers, including Honda, to adjust electric vehicle production investments to meet market conditions.
The electric Acura ZDX was built at General Motor’s Spring Hill, Tennessee plant since it debuted last year. The two automakers signed a memorandum of understanding in September 2020 that called for establishing a North American automotive alliance to develop a range of vehicles to be sold under each company’s brands, as well as cooperation in purchasing, research and development, and connected services.
“To better align our product portfolio with the needs of our customers and market conditions, as well as our long-term strategic goals, we can confirm the Acura ZDX has ended production,” Chris Naughton, a spokesperson for Honda and Acura, said in an email. He also confirmed that the Tennessee plant was the only domestic site where the ZDX was built.
A spokesperson for General Motors declined to comment on Honda’s decision when reached by Automotive Dive.
Though GM no longer will produce the Acura ZDX in Spring Hill, the automaker announced a plan in June to invest $4 billion at three of its U.S. factories, including the Tennessee facility.
GM plans to produce the gas-powered Chevrolet Blazer in Spring Hill starting in 2027. The SUV is currently built at GM's Ramos Arizpe Assembly plant in Mexico, but relocating production to the U.S. will help the automaker mitigate import duties.
Acura sold nearly 7,400 ZDX models last year, and just over 11,500 between January and August this year.
While the ZDX is being discontinued, Naughton said the vehicle helped build the Acura brand in the U.S. which will aid the automaker as it begins selling its new all-electric RSX in the latter half of next year as well as other hybrid-electric Acura models now in development. These vehicles will be built at Honda’s EV hub in Ohio, he said.
