Honda Stopping Production of Ridgeline Until 2028 Due to Emissions Rules

Honda plans to stop production of the current generation of its Ridgeline midsize pickup truck during final quarter of the year. It will resume building the new version of the model in 2028 when it can meet federal emissions rules.

According an  Automotive News report, the company will halt manufacturing of the pickup at its Lincoln, Alabama plant in the fourth quarter. Honda will resume production of a “heavily freshened” variant during the third quarter of 2028.

Sales of the truck, often derided for its use of a unibody instead of more tradition ladder frame construction, were up 6.7 percent last year; however, have fallen significantly during the first four months of this year. They are down 4.2 percent through April, including a 15.7 percent slide last month.

The updated model should help generate some new buzz — although it’s expected to continue as a unibody — with several exterior updates and an improved 6-cylinder engine. The publication noted Honda is one of six vehicles that must improve fuel efficiency to meet California’s air quality mandates, which are tougher than federal rules.

The changes to the Ridgeline will give Honda some additional time for it to keep developing a new, more efficient platform that will keep it ahead of all emissions rules and mandates from the start of the next decade. Additionally, the Pilot, Passport, and Odyssey are expected to use some for it of this V6 package that will not only improve fuel economy but also torque and towing capacity, the publication noted.

Honda’s updates to the Ridgeline come as the company looks to deal with the aftermath of the halt to the 0 Series EV. The company put a stop the new vehicle, along with the Afeela offering it was developing with Sony. Those two programs contributed heavily to the automakers first annual loss in seventy years, costing then CEO Toshihiro Mibe and other top executives their jobs.

[Images: Honda]

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