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 heart, manufacturing services, and another cool spots to share perception on the expertise it’s trying 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’s nonetheless quite a bit we don’t know concerning the expertise we are going to see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Collection lineup. Nevertheless, what now we have discovered 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 vehicles it mentioned would function precursors to manufacturing fashions for the worldwide market. That unveiling included the “Area Hub” being developed below the concept of “augmenting individuals’s every 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 discovered Honda’s first passenger EV, the 0 Collection, might 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 every week in Japan with Honda, now we have a greater thought of what kind of expertise and manufacturing methods the modern OEM is trying 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 approach 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 recent EV tech within the works

To higher perceive the expertise that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in growth, the corporate invited a number of media from around the globe, together with Electrek, to a Honda 0 Tech Assembly, held at its International 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 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 recent begin and a brand new technology of autos for the all-electric period.

Design and growth are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, mild, and clever,” that are on the heart of Honda’s new devoted EV platform that can 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 sizzling stamping metal materials, created utilizing new megacasting machines you possibly can 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 max effectivity and thus vary.

Honda just isn’t attempting to blow individuals away with its vary, however as a substitute has tried to maximise house and preserve light-weight and effectivity to assist maintain 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 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 acquired an opportunity to stroll by way of 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 have 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 scale back the automobile’s general weight by 100kg (220 lbs) in comparison with earlier EV fashions like the Prologue.

We additionally acquired a have 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 goal to supply “experiences that make individuals need to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally enable for arms off, eyes off Stage 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

Honda 0 Collection fashions might be geared up with a system that allows the growth of the vary of driving circumstances the place driver help and Stage 3 automated driving (eyes off) might be accessible. The growth will begin with eyes-off expertise accessible in site visitors congestion on highways, then proceed by way of the OTA updates of the capabilities.

Different UX demos we noticed had been issues like AI-integration and facial recognition software program that would allow future Honda 0 autos 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 might even distinguish if a pet is within the automotive and counsel that it might be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we acquired to demo an attention-grabbing social characteristic Honda is exploring by which a driver can loop their buddy into the automotive trip whereas they’re at residence through VR headset.

Take a look at the video we captured under. We had been linked 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 get up and get a view from exterior the automotive because it moved.

Numerous these applied sciences had been cool to see, however apart from the powertrain and battery expertise, Honda wouldn’t give any kind of affirmation or timeline as to when they may truly be carried out in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working loads of expertise out, and that’s high quality, 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 supply a possibility to check out the brand new 0 structure put in beneath a few of its present 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 possibility for Electrek to be one of many first to really drive its new 0 platform, offering media with two all-electric prototypes to check out.

They could appear like a standard CR-V and Accord from the photographs under, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery expertise talked about above. Because 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 acquired 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 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 complete expertise of Hond’s subsequent technology of autos, 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 have the ability to 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 choice to decide on Honda Jet noises. Have a hear:

Like many of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t verify or deny if and when this UX characteristic can be accessible to clients. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful thought for individuals who need to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly because the sound just isn’t projected exterior the automobile for the remainder of us to listen to.

From what I might 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 might be carried out sooner or later. Nonetheless, the journey had loads of different highlights, together with a have a look at Honda’s new manufacturing methods, which admittedly blew me away.

Different highlights from the Honda Tech Assembly 2024

In my view, one of the crucial attention-grabbing features of our tour round Honda’s services was a have a look at its pilot manufacturing traces the place future 0 BEVs might be inbuilt Japan. This included an illustration of Honda’s new 6,000-ton megacasting machine – six of which is able to 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 method to make the most of a devoted case piece to a standard half utilizing really superb friction welding that can allow Honda to extra effectively construct modular EV IPUs to suite a variety of 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 expertise. The method 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 acutely 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 maintaining a lot of its hand near its chest.

We media have heard loads of phrases like “sometime” and “sooner or later,” however there aren’t any clear timelines for when and if a number of the launched expertise will make its approach 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 the moment in the marketplace, but it surely’s fairly clear that the Japanese automaker is trying to optimize and grasp these parts to face out. I see a real alternative right here for Honda to actually embrace BEVs and grow to be the chief within the house throughout all Japanese automakers.

The Saloon idea is way bigger and roomier up shut, and its general 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 study, is that Honda is planning to unveil a second 0 sequence manufacturing mannequin this January at CES 2025. Based on 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 desirous about skipping CES this yr, however now I need to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We are going to remember to report again at the moment.