Once dubbed Motor City, Detroit, MI, was considered the epicenter of the automotive world. Now it is once again looking to reinvigorate the industry.
As the world looks ahead to an electrified future, Acura is joining the conversation with its first electric vehicle (EV), the 2024 ZDX.
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Introducing The All-New ZDX
The company shared during the car’s official unveiling that “ZDX continues to build on Acura’s Precision Crafted Performance direction with sleek and dynamic styling, class-leading premium technology, and an engaging driving experience.”
What’s more, Acura’s electrified future is about much more than just the forthcoming vehicle.
“We’re committed to running the official trial by 2050, but that’s really by 2040, and it’s not just all about our upcoming products,” Mamadou Diablo, senior vice president of auto sales at American Honda, shared in an interview with AFROTECH. “We’re talking about our corporate activities because it’s one thing to get your products to carbon neutrality, but if the factories that are building the cars are still polluting, then you’re not really carbon neutral. That is the commitment we’ve made as an organization.”
He continued: “Part of that is to get us to full electrification. That is not the only motive power that is going to get us there, but we have to work on fuel sales, technologies, and other things that are going to get us to trial. That’s why we’ve set these timelines in terms of our product, a percentage of our product being EVs by certain milestones. By 2050, as a company, we will be carbon neutral. That’s what the electrified future looks like.”
What Does This Look Like For Longtime Motor City Residents?
For Detroit native Nicole Dandridge, the automotive industry is in her blood. Not only has she worked within the business for years, but her entire family lineage is rooted in working for some of the biggest names in the world. That includes her father who worked for Chrysler for 30 years before retiring.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Dandridge has been working across various areas for an automobile company in Detroit for more than 30 years. She says there’s a different sense of pride that comes with being from the Motor City.
Initially, she was skeptical about the rise in electronic vehicles, but Dandridge has a newfound appreciation for what’s to come.
“I’ll be honest, in the beginning, it felt like these computers were coming to take our jobs,” she explained.
“Now, I’m very excited about the future of EV, especially as it pertains to Detroit,” Dandridge continued. “I think of Detroit as the cutting edge of the electric market, and it’s very exciting. I’m excited to see what the future brings.”
An Electrified Future
Beyond just the automotive industry, Acura also plans to take electrification to the next level with plans to break into the smart home space soon.
Additionally, Honda, which is the proud parent company of Acura, has officially landed an agreement with Tesla Inc. to adopt the company’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) as the charging port for its EV models, which are set to go on sale in North American starting in 2025.
The Acura ZDX will arrive in 2024.
