We had been one of many first to check drive Honda’s 0 Collection EV platform

Earlier than Honda pulls the sheet off a brand new EV mannequin in its new 0 Collection lineup in 2025, it invited us out to Japan to take a peak backstage at its international R&D middle, manufacturing services, and another cool spots to share perception on the know-how it’s seeking to implement in future 0 fashions. We additionally had been one of many first on the planet to check drive Honda’s new 0 Collection EV structure.

Honda’s 0 Collection is starting to take form

As you’ll study under, there may be nonetheless quite a bit we don’t know in regards to the know-how we’ll see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Collection lineup. Nevertheless, what now we have realized is encouraging and thrilling from a Japanese automaker that has been a bit late to the BEV get together.

Honda unveiled plans for its new 0 Collection in Las Vegas throughout CES 2024, the place it unveiled two preliminary idea automobiles it mentioned would function precursors to manufacturing fashions for the worldwide market. That unveiling included the “Area Hub” being developed beneath the concept of “augmenting folks’s each day lives,” and the “Saloon” (seen above and under” it describes as its flagship idea to its 0 Collection design language.

At the moment, we realized Honda’s first passenger EV, the 0 Collection, will probably be primarily based on the Saloon idea and is predicted to hit the North American market in 2026. We’re uncertain precisely how the manufacturing mannequin will differ from the radical and sleek-looking Saloon. Nonetheless, after spending per week in Japan with Honda, now we have a greater concept of what kind of know-how and manufacturing strategies the modern OEM is seeking to implement.

A lot of it’s encouraging, and a few of it’s downright spectacular, however many questions stay about which of the applied sciences launched to the media will make their means into 0 Collection EVs and when. Nonetheless, there’s loads of cool stuff to unpack right here, so let’s dig in.

Honda launched a slew of latest EV tech within the works

To higher perceive the know-how that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in growth, the corporate invited a number of media from all over the world, together with Electrek, to a Honda 0 Tech Assembly, held at its International Plaza in Tochigi, Japan, about 140 km north of Tokyo.

In the course of the assembly, we noticed a presentation led by Honda Motor Co. director, president, and CEO Toshihiro Mibe and Toshihiro Akiwa, the vp and head of BEV growth. Right here, the Honda executives broke down a number of new concepts generated for the 0 sequence, a reputation that represents a contemporary begin and a brand new technology of automobiles for the all-electric period.

Design and growth are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, mild, and sensible,” that are on the middle of Honda’s new devoted EV platform that may assist it ship skinny and low-weight styling as we noticed within the Saloon idea.

The brand new (yet-to-be-named) platform has adopted 2.0 GPa grade scorching stamping metal materials, created utilizing new megacasting machines you’ll be able to see extra of under. The BEV-specific structure enabled Honda to develop thinner battery packs utilizing some actually attention-grabbing friction welding to permit for optimum effectivity and thus vary.

Honda is just not making an attempt to blow folks away with its vary, however as an alternative has tried to maximise house and preserve light-weight and effectivity to assist hold manufacturing prices down and ship new fashions which can be extra reasonably priced. Moreover, the automaker shared it’s focusing on EPA vary of round 300 miles.

New applied sciences like a warmth pump and Honda’s new “e-Axle” motors and inverters have developed from its hybrid EV developmen however have been downsized to realize a horizontal structure to maximise cabin house and permit for decrease proper heights.

After our presentation and Q&A with Honda’s executives, we obtained an opportunity to stroll by and expertise professional explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV group. These included a number of new applied sciences that Honda will implement or a minimum of attempt to implement in future fashions.

This included a take a look at the 0 platform’s new steering stability index that may flex the car physique in actual time to manage every tire’s load whereas cornering. This physique rigidity design additionally allowed Honda to scale back the car’s total weight by 100kg (220 lbs) in comparison with earlier EV fashions like the Prologue.

We additionally obtained a take a look at Honda’s ECU placement in addition to a glimpse at the way it intends to implement sensor know-how like LiDAR into 0 Collection ADAS that it says will purpose to supply “experiences that make folks wish to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally enable for arms off, eyes off Degree 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

Honda 0 Collection fashions will probably be outfitted with a system that permits the enlargement of the vary of driving circumstances the place driver help and Degree 3 automated driving (eyes off) will probably be accessible. The enlargement will begin with eyes-off know-how accessible in visitors congestion on highways, then proceed by the OTA updates of the features.

Different UX demos we noticed had been issues like AI-integration and facial recognition software program that would allow future Honda 0 automobiles to acknowledge an proprietor strolling up and open the door for them. Higher nonetheless, this know-how can acknowledge in case you are carrying a toddler and can open a rear door, or if they’re in a stroller, additionally open the trunk for stowage.

Contained in the cabin, Honda’s in-house OS can acknowledge the driving force and their passengers, and may even distinguish if a pet is within the automotive and recommend that it could be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we obtained to demo an attention-grabbing social characteristic Honda is exploring by which a driver can loop their pal into the automotive experience whereas they’re at house by way of VR headset.

Take a look at the video we captured under. We had been related reside to another Honda workers in one other a part of Japan and rode together with them. We had been in a position to talk and request songs, and even arise and get a view from exterior the automotive because it moved.

Plenty of these applied sciences had been cool to see, however except for the powertrain and battery know-how, Honda wouldn’t give any kind of affirmation or timeline as to when they are going to truly be carried out in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working loads of know-how out, and that’s effective, as we received’t see the primary Honda 0 EV (primarily based on the Saloon) till 2026, however six extra BEV fashions are anticipated to reach by 2030.

Since now we have but to see a bonafide Honda 0 Collection manufacturing mannequin emerge, we couldn’t drive one. Nevertheless, the automaker did provide a chance to check out the brand new 0 structure put in beneath a few of its current fashions.

Check driving Honda’s new 0 Collection structure

It wasn’t a Saloon, however it was one thing. From Tochigi, Honda organized a chance for Electrek to be one of many first to truly drive its new 0 platform, offering media with two all-electric prototypes to check out.

They could appear to be a conventional CR-V and Accord from the pictures under, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery know-how talked about above. As a consequence of time contraints, we had been solely in a position to drive one to the opposite prototype, and solely had a couple of minutes with it. I selected the sedan pondering it was decrease and extra related in design to the Saloon idea, and obtained to do three leaps round Honda’s native check monitor.

My first impression is that it drives like an EV. The response is fast, acceleration is easy however not mind-boggling, and the dealing with was fairly snug, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, however it’s onerous to critique structure alone, particularly when driving in a car physique that was not particularly designed for the 0 structure.

Due to this, the prototypes nonetheless had mechanical steering versus steer-by-wire deliberate for the manufacturing mannequin 0 BEVs, so I wasn’t in a position to get the total expertise of Hond’s subsequent technology of automobiles, however it nonetheless was a pleasure to check out.

Honda additionally had a static Honda e BEV it was utilizing as a UX idea. This was cool as a result of clients might sometime be capable of select completely different engine noises from famend fashions just like the RSX or Civic Sort-R to flood their BEV cabin with revving sounds. There’s additionally an possibility to decide on Honda Jet noises. Have a pay attention:

Like many of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t verify or deny if and when this UX characteristic could be accessible to clients. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful concept for many who wish to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly for the reason that sound is just not projected exterior the car for the remainder of us to listen to.

From what I may collect, Honda’s structure is heading in the right direction. Nonetheless, I left the 2024 Tech Assembly with extra questions than solutions about what applied sciences will probably be carried out sooner or later. Nonetheless, the journey had loads of different highlights, together with a take a look at Honda’s new manufacturing strategies, which admittedly blew me away.

Different highlights from the Honda Tech Assembly 2024

In my view, one of the attention-grabbing elements of our tour round Honda’s services was a take a look at its pilot manufacturing traces the place future 0 BEVs will probably be inbuilt Japan. This included an illustration of Honda’s new 6,000-ton megacasting machine – six of which can go into operation at Honda’s US manufacturing facility in Ohio.

Honda shared that it was in a position to scale back the variety of elements in its Clever Energy Unit (IPU) from 60 to five utilizing megacasting, and has taken an method to make the most of a devoted case piece to a typical half utilizing really wonderful friction welding that may allow Honda to extra effectively construct modular EV IPUs to suite quite a few physique sizes.

One other demonstration I discovered fairly attention-grabbing was the world’s first software of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding know-how. The method maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, decreasing car weight whereas rising passive security efficiency. Right here’s it in motion. Discover how there are not any sparks?

Electrek’s take

All in all, Honda is certainly making a aware effort to compete within the BEV market with its upcoming 0 Collection. I noticed loads of innovation, notably inside its pilot manufacturing traces, however there was a sense of secrecy as Honda remains to be holding a lot of its hand near its chest.

We media have heard loads of phrases like “sometime” and “sooner or later,” however there are not any clear timelines for when and if a few of the launched know-how will make its means into manufacturing fashions. Maybe it was a tad too early for a Tech Day, however it was an informative and thrilling expertise nonetheless.

A lot of the tech Honda launched has already been carried out into BEVs at present available on the market, however it’s fairly clear that the Japanese automaker is seeking to optimize and grasp these parts to face out. I see a real alternative right here for Honda to really embrace BEVs and grow to be the chief within the house throughout all Japanese automakers.

The Saloon idea is far bigger and roomier up shut, and its total design is in contrast to anything on the highway proper now. It is going to be thrilling to see how shut a manufacturing 0 Collection model involves that preliminary design, however at this level, we nonetheless don’t know.

One factor we did study, is that Honda is planning to unveil a second 0 sequence manufacturing mannequin this January at CES 2025. In line with the automaker, this new BEV mannequin “would be the embodiment in product type of the applied sciences and electrification idea launched through the 0 Tech Assembly 2024.”

I used to be fascinated by skipping CES this 12 months, however now I wish to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We’ll you should definitely report again at the moment.