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 amenities, and another cool spots to share perception on the expertise it’s seeking to implement in future 0 fashions. We additionally had been one of many first on this planet to check drive Honda’s new 0 Collection EV structure.

Honda’s 0 Collection is starting to take form

As you’ll be taught under, there’s nonetheless so much we don’t know in regards to the expertise we’ll see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Collection lineup. Nevertheless, what we’ve realized is encouraging and thrilling from a Japanese automaker that has been a bit late to the BEV social gathering.

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 below the thought of “augmenting folks’s day by 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 likely be primarily based on the Saloon idea and is predicted to hit the North American market in 2026. We’re not sure precisely how the manufacturing mannequin will differ from the radical and sleek-looking Saloon. Nonetheless, after spending every week in Japan with Honda, we’ve a greater concept of what kind of expertise and manufacturing methods the revolutionary 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 lots of cool stuff to unpack right here, so let’s dig in.

Honda launched a slew of recent EV tech within the works

To higher perceive the expertise that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in improvement, the corporate invited a number of media from world wide, together with Electrek, to a Honda 0 Tech Assembly, held at its World Plaza in Tochigi, Japan, about 140 km north of Tokyo.

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

Design and improvement are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, gentle, and clever,” 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 isn’t making an attempt to blow folks away with its vary, however as a substitute has tried to maximise house and keep light-weight and effectivity to assist hold manufacturing prices down and ship new fashions which are 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 advanced from its hybrid EV developmen however have been downsized to attain 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 via and expertise professional explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV staff. 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 automobile physique in actual time to regulate every tire’s load whereas cornering. This physique rigidity design additionally allowed Honda to cut back the automobile’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 expertise like LiDAR into 0 Collection ADAS that it says will purpose to supply “experiences that make folks need to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally permit for fingers off, eyes off Degree 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

Honda 0 Collection fashions will likely be outfitted with a system that permits the growth of the vary of driving situations the place driver help and Degree 3 automated driving (eyes off) will likely be out there. The growth will begin with eyes-off expertise out there in site visitors congestion on highways, then proceed via the OTA updates of the capabilities.

Different UX demos we noticed had been issues like AI-integration and facial recognition software program that might allow future Honda 0 automobiles to acknowledge an proprietor strolling up and open the door for them. Higher nonetheless, this expertise can acknowledge in case you are carrying a baby 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 motive force and their passengers, and may even distinguish if a pet is within the automobile and counsel that it could be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we obtained to demo an attention-grabbing social function Honda is exploring wherein a driver can loop their buddy into the automobile journey whereas they’re at dwelling by way of VR headset.

Try the video we captured under. We had been related reside to another Honda staff 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 automobile because it moved.

Plenty of these applied sciences had been cool to see, however except for the powertrain and battery expertise, 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 lots of expertise out, and that’s nice, 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 we’ve but to see a bonafide Honda 0 Collection manufacturing mannequin emerge, we couldn’t drive one. Nevertheless, the automaker did supply 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, but it surely 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 standard CR-V and Accord from the pictures under, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery expertise talked about above. Resulting from 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 considering it was decrease and extra related in design to the Saloon idea, and obtained to do three leaps round Honda’s native check observe.

My first impression is that it drives like an EV. The response is fast, acceleration is clean however not mind-boggling, and the dealing with was fairly comfy, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, but it surely’s exhausting to critique structure alone, particularly when driving in a automobile 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, but it surely 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 could sometime be capable of select totally different engine noises from famend fashions just like the RSX or Civic Kind-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 a lot of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t verify or deny if and when this UX function could be out there to clients. Nevertheless, it’s a superb concept for individuals who need to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly because the sound isn’t projected exterior the automobile 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 likely 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 methods, which admittedly blew me away.

Different highlights from the Honda Tech Assembly 2024

In my view, probably the most attention-grabbing features of our tour round Honda’s amenities was a take a look at its pilot manufacturing strains the place future 0 BEVs will likely be in-built Japan. This included an indication 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 cut back the variety of elements in its Clever Energy Unit (IPU) from 60 to five utilizing megacasting, and has taken an strategy to make the most of a devoted case piece to a standard half utilizing actually superb friction welding that may allow Honda to extra effectively construct modular EV IPUs to suite quite a lot of physique sizes.

One other demonstration I discovered fairly attention-grabbing was the world’s first utility of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding expertise. The approach maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, lowering automobile weight whereas growing passive security efficiency. Right here’s it in motion. Discover how there aren’t 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 lots of innovation, notably inside its pilot manufacturing strains, however there was a sense of secrecy as Honda continues to be retaining a lot of its hand near its chest.

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

A lot of the tech Honda launched has already been carried out into BEVs at present in the marketplace, but it surely’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 change into the chief within the house throughout all Japanese automakers.

The Saloon idea is way bigger and roomier up shut, and its total design is in contrast to the rest on the highway proper now. It will likely 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 be taught, is that Honda is planning to unveil a second 0 collection 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 in the course of the 0 Tech Assembly 2024.”

I used to be fascinated by skipping CES this yr, however now I need to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We are going to you should definitely report again at the moment.