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 world R&D middle, manufacturing services, and another cool spots to share perception on the know-how it’s trying to implement in future 0 fashions. We additionally had been one of many first on the earth 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 lots we don’t know concerning the know-how we are going to see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Collection lineup. Nevertheless, what we’ve 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 “House Hub” being developed underneath 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, will probably be based mostly 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, we’ve a greater thought of what kind of know-how and manufacturing methods the progressive 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 means into 0 Collection EVs and when. Nonetheless, there’s a whole lot of cool stuff to unpack right here, so let’s dig in.

Honda launched a slew of recent EV tech within the works

To raised perceive the know-how 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 International Plaza in Tochigi, Japan, about 140 km north of Tokyo.

Throughout 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 improvement. Right here, the Honda executives broke down a number of new concepts generated for the 0 collection, a reputation that represents a recent begin and a brand new era of automobiles for the all-electric period.

Design and improvement are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, mild, and smart,” that are on the middle 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 may 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 just isn’t attempting to blow individuals away with its vary, however as an alternative has tried to maximise area and preserve light-weight and effectivity to assist hold manufacturing prices down and ship new fashions which are extra inexpensive. 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 format to maximise cabin area and permit for decrease proper heights.

After our presentation and Q&A with Honda’s executives, we received an opportunity to stroll by way of and expertise skilled explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV staff. These included a number of new applied sciences that Honda will implement or at the very least 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 car physique in actual time to manage every tire’s load whereas cornering. This physique rigidity design additionally allowed Honda to cut back the car’s general weight by 100kg (220 lbs) in comparison with earlier EV fashions like the Prologue.

We additionally received a have 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 individuals need to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally permit for palms off, eyes off Stage 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

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

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 know-how can acknowledge if you’re 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 driving force and their passengers, and may even distinguish if a pet is within the automotive and counsel that it could be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we received to demo an attention-grabbing social characteristic Honda is exploring during which a driver can loop their buddy into the automotive experience whereas they’re at house through VR headset.

Try the video we captured under. We had been linked reside to another Honda staff in one other a part of Japan and rode together with them. We had been capable of talk and request songs, and even get up and get a view from exterior the automotive because it moved.

Loads of these applied sciences had been cool to see, however apart from the powertrain and battery know-how, Honda wouldn’t give any kind of affirmation or timeline as to when they may really be applied in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working a whole lot of know-how out, and that’s advantageous, as we gained’t see the primary Honda 0 EV (based mostly 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 provide a possibility to check out the brand new 0 structure put in beneath a few of its present fashions.

Take a look at 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 to be a conventional CR-V and Accord from the photographs under, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery know-how talked about above. As a result of time contraints, we had been solely capable of 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 received 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 easy however not mind-boggling, and the dealing with was fairly snug, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, but it surely’s arduous 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 capable of get the complete expertise of Hond’s subsequent era 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 might sometime be capable to select completely 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 pay attention:

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 superb thought for individuals who need to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly for the reason that sound just isn’t projected exterior the car 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 will probably be applied 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 vital 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 will probably be in-built 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 capable of scale 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 typical half utilizing actually wonderful friction welding that can 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 software of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding know-how. The approach maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, lowering car weight whereas growing passive security efficiency. Right here’s it in motion. Discover how there are not any sparks?

Electrek’s take

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

We media have heard a whole lot of phrases like “sometime” and “sooner or later,” however there are not any clear timelines for when and if a number of the launched know-how 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 applied into BEVs presently available on the market, but it surely’s fairly clear that the Japanese automaker is trying to optimize and grasp these components to face out. I see a real alternative right here for Honda to actually embrace BEVs and grow to be the chief within the area throughout all Japanese automakers.

The Saloon idea is way bigger and roomier up shut, and its general design is not like 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 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 throughout the 0 Tech Assembly 2024.”

I used to be serious about skipping CES this 12 months, however now I need to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We are going to be sure you report again at the moment.