Honda has shown off a concept which is the first sign of its new electric car lineup at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Year Zero
This is what Honda is calling its 0 Series because this new lineup will be a 'year zero' or a fresh start for Honda in electric motoring. Previously, Honda had seemed unsure of the direction it wanted to take in the electric future and had linked up with General Motors in America to share EV platforms and technology. That deal is now winding down, and the 0 Series - or the production models that come from these concepts - will be sold across the world and designed and engineered entirely by Honda itself.
Two concepts are being shown, one called Saloon and one called Space Hub. If it sounds like Space Hub might be the more exciting of the two, well... the Saloon, in spite of its humble name, is a dramatic wedge-shaped design which has hints of classic seventies supercars, and even Honda's epochal NSX, in its styling. At the rear, the Saloon's body ends in a dramatic cut-off box shape. Along with the Space Hub, the Saloon gets new Honda badging, which includes a subtle re-shaping of the classic Honda 'H'. The Saloon gets, according to Honda, "excellent visibility" but also a "sporty driving position." The interior is made from sustainable materials, and there's a clever new touchscreen and instrument setup.
Thin, light, and wise
It's part of a new car design and engineering strategy that Honda calls 'Thin, light, and wise.' With those three words, Honda hopes to spark something of a vehicle engineering revolution, leading to lighter yet roomier and more efficient electric cars.
Speaking of roomier, the Space Hub concept looks like someone crossed an MPV with the Space Shuttle, as seen through the lens of a Star Trek set designer. Honda says that both cars are being designed to: "Represent Honda's determination in taking on this challenge of developing new EV series by going back to the starting point of Honda as an automaker and creating completely new EVs from zero. With this new EV series, Honda will strive to further advance its... values in its car making, and take the 'joy and freedom of mobility' to even greater heights."
Both cars have been designed around partly autonomous driving, which Honda is pledging to roll out for use on twisty roads as well as motorways, and it will use AI technology to try to replicate the more natural driving style of a real human being. Indeed, the system is being designed so that it can learn your driving style and copy you when you sit back and let the computers take over.
Ultra-fast charging
Connected technology will ensure that you can be guided to your final destination even when you've parked up the cars and headed off on foot, while steer-by-wire technology is also going to feature.
Both cars will share a common, dedicated EV platform, when they - or at least the cars that they inspire - reach production; although Honda isn't yet giving any details on range or performance, it has said that both cars are being designed around charging and battery systems which can top up from 10-80 per cent charge in just 10-15 minutes, yet to also suffer only ten per cent battery degradation over ten years of use. However, we do know that these are not necessarily motor-show-only concepts - Honda has pledged to put its first 0 Series car into production by 2026, so these cars could be closer to reality than you might expect.