TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Honda Motor Co. said Wednesday it plans to double its global hybrid sales from the 2023 level to 1.3 million vehicles in 2030, focusing on North America with its next-generation gasoline-electric models.

The Japanese carmaker plans to cut costs for new hybrid systems by over 30 percent compared with current versions by using more common parts while developing a new hybrid engine that will be 10 percent more fuel efficient. The new systems will be installed in vehicles starting in 2026.

"We will do our utmost to create a new hybrid car, a car that will leave its name in the era of internal combustion engines," Katsuto Hayashi, executive officer in charge of the company's automobile operations, said at a recent media briefing.

As part of efforts to strengthen its hybrid lineup, the automaker will launch a gasoline-electric version of the Prelude in 2025, reintroducing the coupe model to the market for the first time in more than 20 years.

Honda plans to make all new models battery-electric or fuel-cell by 2040.

Global carmakers are revising their EV strategies amid growing demand for hybrids as EV sales lose momentum. Still, Honda is sticking to its 2040 goal, expecting demand for zero-emission vehicles to pick up in the latter half of the 2020s.

Honda will continue launching hybrid models in China, but the 1.3 million target excludes sales in the world's largest auto market, where the automaker will prioritize EVs, the company said.