Toshihiro Mibe

Toshihiro Mibe
Birthplace	Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Occupation	Corporate executive
Title	Director, President and Representative Executive Officer
Employer	Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Known for	President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Toshihiro Mibe (Template:Lang-ja, Mibe Toshihiro) is a Japanese corporate executive who serves as the President, Director, and Representative Executive Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., the multinational conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. A long-tenured Honda engineer who spent much of his career in research and development, Mibe rose through the company's technical ranks before assuming the top leadership position at one of the world's largest automobile and motorcycle manufacturers. Under his stewardship, Honda has navigated significant strategic shifts including an accelerated push toward electrification, exploratory merger discussions with rival Nissan Motor Co., and a high-profile return to Formula 1 racing. As CEO, Mibe has been a visible public figure on questions of software collaboration in the automotive industry, the impact of trade policy on electric vehicle timelines, and Honda's broader ambitions in mobility across land, sea, air, and space.

Early Life

Limited publicly documented information is available regarding Toshihiro Mibe's early life and upbringing. He was born and raised in Japan. Mibe pursued a technical education that would lay the groundwork for a career in automotive engineering and research, eventually joining Honda Motor Co., Ltd., where he would spend his entire professional career. His trajectory within the company was shaped by deep expertise in powertrain and engine development, fields that positioned him at the center of Honda's core competencies as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines, producing more than 14 million units annually.

Career

Rise Through Honda's Engineering Ranks

Toshihiro Mibe built his career within Honda Motor Co., Ltd., ascending through the company's research and development divisions. Honda, founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, had grown from a motorcycle manufacturer into a diversified multinational conglomerate producing automobiles, motorcycles, power products, marine engines, aerospace vehicles, and robotics. Mibe's background in powertrain engineering placed him within the technical heart of a company long defined by its engineering culture. Honda had historically invested heavily in research and development — approximately 5.7 percent of its revenues, or roughly US$6.8 billion, in 2013 alone — and Mibe was a product of that institutional commitment to innovation.

Before becoming CEO, Mibe held senior positions overseeing Honda's engine and powertrain development programs. His engineering expertise gave him direct involvement in the technologies underlying Honda's automobile and motorcycle product lines, as well as the company's racing programs, which had long served as a proving ground for Honda's engineering capabilities.

Appointment as President and CEO

Mibe was appointed President, Director, and Representative Executive Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., succeeding Takahiro Hachigo. His appointment reflected Honda's decision to place a research and development specialist at the helm during a period of profound transformation in the global automotive industry, as manufacturers faced mounting pressure to transition from internal combustion engines to electric and hybrid powertrains. The selection of an engineer with deep R&D experience signaled Honda's intent to prioritize technological innovation in its strategic direction.

Upon taking office, Mibe articulated an ambitious vision for Honda's future that centered on electrification. He set targets for Honda to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles and transition its global lineup to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). This represented a dramatic shift for a company historically defined by its mastery of internal combustion engine technology — Honda had long been recognized as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines by volume.

Electrification Strategy and EV Challenges

Under Mibe's leadership, Honda committed to an electrification roadmap that included the development of a dedicated electric vehicle platform and plans for affordable EVs. Mibe publicly discussed Honda's goal of producing electric vehicles at competitive price points, including models targeted at approximately $30,000 to broaden market accessibility.

However, Mibe acknowledged significant headwinds affecting Honda's EV timeline. In November 2025, Mibe stated that policies enacted by the Trump administration in the United States had pushed back Honda's electric vehicle plans by approximately five years. He detailed the company's struggles with EV development in the context of shifting regulatory environments and trade policies, noting that the uncertain policy landscape had complicated Honda's investment planning and production timelines for electric models.

Mibe's candor about these challenges was notable for its directness. Rather than obscuring the difficulties Honda faced, he spoke publicly about the gap between the company's electrification ambitions and the market and regulatory realities that constrained its progress. This transparency drew attention from industry analysts and media outlets covering the broader challenges facing automakers in the transition to electric mobility.

Honda-Nissan Merger Discussions

One of the most consequential strategic developments during Mibe's tenure as CEO was Honda's exploration of a potential merger or deep alliance with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. The discussions, which became public knowledge, represented a potential reshaping of Japan's automotive industry and would have created one of the world's largest automaker groups by combining Honda's and Nissan's respective product lines, manufacturing capacities, and technology portfolios.

However, the merger talks between Honda and Nissan ultimately came to an abrupt end without a deal being reached. Following the conclusion of negotiations, Mibe publicly commented on Nissan's subsequent direction under new leadership. In September 2025, Mibe praised the performance of Nissan's new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, stating that Espinosa was doing "what needs to be done" to revive the troubled carmaker. Mibe's comments suggested a degree of goodwill between the two companies despite the failed merger discussions, and indicated that Honda's leadership viewed Nissan's reform efforts favorably.

Software Collaboration and Industry Partnerships

Mibe has been an outspoken advocate for open collaboration in automotive software development. As automakers increasingly compete not only on hardware but on the software-defined vehicle platforms that underpin next-generation cars, the costs of developing proprietary software stacks have escalated dramatically. In November 2025, Mibe stated publicly that pursuing automotive software development entirely in-house "doesn't make sense," arguing that partnerships were essential to managing the enormous costs involved.

This position represented a pragmatic acknowledgment of the challenges facing traditional automakers as they compete with technology companies and newer entrants in the software-intensive aspects of vehicle development. Mibe's stance aligned with a broader industry trend toward platform sharing and collaboration, though it also marked a departure from Honda's historically independent engineering culture, which had long prized self-reliance and in-house development.

Return to Formula 1

Under Mibe's leadership, Honda announced a return to Formula 1 racing, a decision that carried significant symbolic and strategic weight for the company. Honda has a long and storied history in Formula 1, having supplied engines to championship-winning teams over multiple eras. The return was framed not merely as a motorsport endeavor but as a technology development initiative, particularly as Formula 1 regulations evolved to incorporate hybrid powertrain rules that aligned with Honda's broader electrification and engineering interests.

In a November 2025 interview, Mibe discussed Honda's motivations for re-entering Formula 1, characterizing the decision as part of Honda's broader approach to using racing as a laboratory for advanced powertrain technologies. He described the return as a "high-stakes" commitment that reflected Honda's belief in the value of motorsport competition as a driver of engineering innovation.

Honda's racing heritage had long been integral to its corporate identity, dating back to the company's earliest days when founder Soichiro Honda entered his motorcycles and later his cars in competitive racing. The decision to return to Formula 1 under Mibe's watch was consistent with this legacy while also positioning the program within the context of Honda's forward-looking technology strategy.

Japan Mobility Show 2025

Mibe served as Honda's principal spokesperson at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, where the company showcased a comprehensive array of mobility solutions spanning land, sea, air, and space applications. At a press conference during the event, Mibe outlined Honda's vision for the future of mobility, emphasizing the company's ambitions beyond traditional automotive products.

The presentation reflected Honda's diversified portfolio, which by that time included not only automobiles and motorcycles but also aerospace products such as the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, robotics research dating back to the company's ASIMO program, marine engines, and power products. Mibe used the show as an opportunity to articulate his belief that Honda's identity as a mobility company extended well beyond cars and motorcycles, encompassing a broader mission to address transportation and movement challenges across multiple domains.

In an interview connected to the show, Mibe discussed the challenges of realizing Honda's ambitious goals, framing the company's efforts in terms that echoed the founder's original philosophy of pursuing dreams through engineering. He acknowledged the complexity of simultaneously managing the transition from internal combustion engines while investing in new mobility frontiers, but expressed confidence in Honda's technical capabilities and organizational culture.

Ongoing Leadership

As of late 2025, Mibe continued to serve as Honda's President and CEO, navigating a period of significant industry upheaval. He appeared at a business briefing in Tokyo in May 2025, where he addressed the company's strategic direction and operational performance.

Under his leadership, Honda remained one of the world's largest automakers, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer — a position it had held since 1959 — and a major manufacturer of power products and engines. The company maintained operations worldwide, including significant manufacturing presence in the United States, where Honda had become the first Japanese automaker to be a net exporter in 2013, shipping 108,705 Honda and Acura models while importing 88,357. Honda also continued to operate two joint ventures in China — Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda — and maintained its luxury Acura brand, which had been introduced in March 1986 as the first dedicated luxury brand from a Japanese automaker.

Personal Life

Toshihiro Mibe has maintained a relatively private personal life, consistent with the norms of Japanese corporate leadership. Publicly available information about his family and personal interests is limited. His public appearances and statements have been almost exclusively in a professional capacity, focused on Honda's business strategy, technology development, and industry positioning.

Legacy

Mibe's tenure as Honda's CEO has been defined by the company's navigation of one of the most disruptive periods in the history of the automotive industry. His leadership has been characterized by three principal themes: the push toward electrification, the willingness to explore bold strategic moves such as the Honda-Nissan merger discussions, and a commitment to expanding Honda's identity beyond traditional automotive manufacturing into broader mobility solutions.

His public acknowledgment that external policy factors had significantly delayed Honda's EV plans was notable for its transparency and contrasted with more guarded communications from some industry peers. Similarly, his advocacy for collaborative approaches to software development signaled a willingness to adapt Honda's traditionally independent corporate culture to the realities of an increasingly complex and capital-intensive technological landscape.

The decision to return Honda to Formula 1 under his leadership connected the company's future direction to its historical engineering heritage, positioning motorsport as a bridge between Honda's legacy in internal combustion engine mastery and its aspirations in electrified and hybrid powertrain technology.

As the automotive industry continues to undergo fundamental transformation driven by electrification, autonomy, and software-defined vehicles, Mibe's strategic decisions during this critical period will likely shape Honda's competitive position for years to come. His leadership of a company that manufactures the world's most-produced motor vehicle — the Honda Super Cub — and operates across motorcycles, automobiles, aerospace, robotics, and power products places him at the center of one of Japan's most consequential corporate narratives.