Honda has announced a new global electric vehicle series, dubbed Honda Zero, presenting it as an antidote to the recent trend of “thick and heavy” electric vehicles we see on the road today. Honda says it will introduce its first model, based on a sleek, sedan-like concept called the saloon, starting in North America in 2026.
In addition to the saloon, Honda also introduced a transfer box-like concept called the Space-Hub. These concepts are intended to showcase Honda’s lighter approach to electric vehicle development, riding atop a “thin” vehicle architecture with a lower floor intended to highlight aerodynamics.
“Thin” and “light” are two of the three principles, the third being “wisdom” that Honda says guides the development of the Honda Zero EV series. The automaker has emphasized a start-from-scratch engineering approach to the lineup, including a new H-mark logo that it says will be featured exclusively in the next generation of its electric cars.
It is still unknown how Honda plans to achieve this new weightlessness in its next generation of electric cars. Many of the electric vehicles hitting the U.S. market this year are SUVs and large, heavy-duty trucks, complementing a broader trend in car buying that has seen some companies stop making sedans altogether. But Honda seems to suggest there is another way, especially when it comes to smaller, slimmer and lighter vehicles.
Naturally, Honda also partnered with Sony in the design and development of the latter’s Afeela electric car, which was first introduced at CES last year. The Afeela will also be coming to the North American market by 2026, though there’s no information on how – if at all – it will relate to the Honda Zero lineup.
The saloon has a sloping shape at the rear with unique rectangular lights front and rear reminiscent of the old Black & Decker Dustbuster. The car appears to ride very low to the ground for all-round sporting performance derived from Formula 1 racing. The interior is minimal, with You see-Light-like lighting accents, a single center screen, and wheels with dotted covers steal through the darkness.
The Space-Hub looks like a minivan with minimal arms and a taillight that has a similar appearance to Rivian’s electric delivery vans for Amazon. The Space-Hub will also include a huge panoramic sunroof that curves to the side to create an almost greenhouse-like effect. Inside are two long benches facing each other, suggesting that autonomous shuttle service could be a potential use case in the future. There’s no rear window, which means drivers will likely need to rely on cameras to see the back.
No real specifications have been revealed, but Honda says these future electric cars will be partially or fully autonomous, depending on the configuration. A marketing video showed a retractable steering wheel that emerges from the dashboard when needed, suggesting that customers will be able to switch between human and robotic driving depending on the mood.
The advanced driver-assistance features will be based on Honda’s Sensing platform, which debuted with the Honda Legend in Japan in 2021. Honda Sensing is a Level 2 system, meaning drivers still have to pay attention to the road and are legally responsible for vehicle vibrations. practical. The company says hands-free driving on “highways and surface streets” will be available starting in the mid-2020s, including more affordable models.
The Honda Zero Series will be sporty, inspired by performance-enabled designs from the automaker’s Formula 1 racing experience. Honda also aims to achieve optimal battery efficiency through its use of e-hubs, a system consisting of a motor, inverter and gearbox that converts electrical energy into driving energy.
Like many other automakers, Honda is planning to introduce more AI-powered features into its future vehicle lineup. These features will collect data about driver preferences to provide a more personalized experience as well as provide route suggestions based on location information.
Until now, Honda’s global electric vehicle offerings have been few. There’s the Honda e city, which is only available in Europe and Asia and is scheduled to be discontinued this year, and the Prologue SUV, which will soon be available in North America. There’s also the upcoming Acura ZDX from the company’s performance brand. Overall, Honda aims to produce 30 new electric vehicles by 2030 with 2 million units sold, 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2040, and carbon neutrality for “all products and company activities” by 2050.
But there have been setbacks, too. Honda recently canceled its plans to build a range of affordable electric vehicles with General Motors. Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving unit in which Honda also invests, temporarily halted all general operations after a pedestrian was struck by one of the company’s self-driving vehicles.
The Prologue SUV is scheduled to reach customers this year, Honda’s first major effort to sell electric vehicles in North America since the oft-maligned Clarity. But while that vehicle would seem right up there with the CRV and Pilot, these new vehicles are designed to maximize performance.