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 behind the scenes at its international 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 have 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 study beneath, there may be nonetheless so much we don’t know concerning the know-how we’ll see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Collection lineup. Nonetheless, what we’ve discovered is encouraging and thrilling from a Japanese automaker that has been a bit late to the BEV celebration.
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 beneath the concept of “augmenting individuals’s every day lives,” and the “Saloon” (seen above and beneath” 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, shall 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 every week in Japan with Honda, we’ve a greater thought of what kind of know-how and manufacturing strategies the revolutionary 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 latest EV tech within the works
To raised perceive the know-how that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in growth, 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.
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 collection, a reputation that represents a contemporary begin and a brand new era of automobiles for the all-electric period.
Design and growth are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, mild, and smart,” 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 sizzling stamping metal materials, created utilizing new megacasting machines you may see extra of beneath. The BEV-specific structure enabled Honda to develop thinner battery packs utilizing some actually fascinating friction welding to permit for max effectivity and thus vary.
Honda will not be 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 preserve manufacturing prices down and ship new fashions which can be extra reasonably priced. Moreover, the automaker shared it’s concentrating 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 format to maximise cabin area and permit for decrease proper heights.
After our presentation and Q&A with Honda’s executives, we bought an opportunity to stroll by way of and expertise professional explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV workforce. These included a number of new applied sciences that Honda will implement or at the least 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 regulate 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 bought 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 individuals wish to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally permit for arms off, eyes off Stage 3 automated driving. Per Honda:
Honda 0 Collection fashions shall be outfitted with a system that allows the growth of the vary of driving situations the place driver help and Stage 3 automated driving (eyes off) shall be obtainable. The growth will begin with eyes-off know-how obtainable in visitors congestion on highways, then proceed by way of the OTA updates of the features.
Different UX demos we noticed have 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 might even distinguish if a pet is within the automotive and recommend that it might be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we bought to demo an fascinating social function Honda is exploring during which a driver can loop their good friend into the automotive experience whereas they’re at house through VR headset.
Try the video we captured beneath. We have been linked stay to another Honda staff in one other a part of Japan and rode together with them. We have 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 have 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 may really be applied in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working a whole lot of know-how out, and that’s positive, as we received’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. Nonetheless, the automaker did provide a chance to check out the brand new 0 structure put in beneath a few of its current fashions.
Take a look at driving Honda’s new 0 Collection structure
It wasn’t a Saloon, nevertheless it was one thing. From Tochigi, Honda organized a chance 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 might seem like a standard CR-V and Accord from the photographs beneath, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery know-how talked about above. Because of time contraints, we have 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 comparable in design to the Saloon idea, and bought 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 snug, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, nevertheless it’s laborious 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 complete expertise of Hond’s subsequent era of automobiles, nevertheless 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 to select totally 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 a lot of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t affirm or deny if and when this UX function could be obtainable to clients. Nonetheless, it’s a superb thought for many who wish to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly for the reason that sound will not be 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 shall be applied 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, some of the fascinating facets of our tour round Honda’s services was a take a look at its pilot manufacturing traces the place future 0 BEVs shall be in-built 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 typical half utilizing really wonderful 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 fascinating was the world’s first utility of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding know-how. The method maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, lowering car 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 unquestionably making a acutely aware effort to compete within the BEV market with its upcoming 0 Collection. I noticed a whole lot of innovation, significantly inside its pilot manufacturing traces, however there was a sense of secrecy as Honda continues to be holding 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 aren’t any clear timelines for when and if among the launched know-how will make its means into manufacturing fashions. Maybe it was a tad too early for a Tech Day, nevertheless it 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, nevertheless it’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 turn into the chief within the area throughout all Japanese automakers.
The Saloon idea is far bigger and roomier up shut, and its total design is in contrast to the rest on the street 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 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 desirous about skipping CES this 12 months, however now I wish to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We’ll you’ll want to report again at the moment.
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