Earlier than Honda pulls the sheet off a brand new EV mannequin in its new 0 Sequence 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 have been one of many first on the earth to check drive Honda’s new 0 Sequence EV structure.
Honda’s 0 Sequence is starting to take form
As you’ll study beneath, there’s nonetheless quite a bit we don’t know concerning the expertise we’ll see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Sequence lineup. Nonetheless, what we now have realized is encouraging and thrilling from a Japanese automaker that has been a bit late to the BEV occasion.
Honda unveiled plans for its new 0 Sequence in Las Vegas throughout CES 2024, the place it unveiled two preliminary idea vehicles it stated would function precursors to manufacturing fashions for the worldwide market. That unveiling included the “Area Hub” being developed underneath the thought of “augmenting individuals’s day by day lives,” and the “Saloon” (seen above and beneath” it describes as its flagship idea to its 0 Sequence design language.
At the moment, we realized Honda’s first passenger EV, the 0 Sequence, can be based mostly 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 now have a greater concept 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 means into 0 Sequence EVs and when. Nonetheless, there’s a number 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 expertise that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in growth, the corporate invited a number of media from all over the world, together with Electrek, to a Honda 0 Tech Assembly, held at its International 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 recent begin and a brand new era of automobiles for the all-electric period.
Design and growth are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, gentle, and smart,” 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’ll be able to see extra of beneath. The BEV-specific structure enabled Honda to develop thinner battery packs utilizing some actually fascinating friction welding to permit for optimum effectivity and thus vary.
Honda just isn’t attempting to blow individuals away with its vary, however as a substitute 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 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 developed from its hybrid EV developmen however have been downsized to realize a horizontal structure 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 means 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 have 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 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 Sequence ADAS that it says will purpose to supply “experiences that make individuals wish to exit extra spontaneously” and can ultimately enable for palms off, eyes off Degree 3 automated driving. Per Honda:
Honda 0 Sequence fashions can be geared up with a system that permits the growth of the vary of driving situations the place driver help and Degree 3 automated driving (eyes off) can be obtainable. The growth will begin with eyes-off expertise obtainable in visitors congestion on highways, then proceed by means of the OTA updates of the capabilities.
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 expertise 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 motive force and their passengers, and might 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 bought to demo an fascinating social characteristic Honda is exploring during which a driver can loop their pal into the automotive experience whereas they’re at residence through VR headset.
Try the video we captured beneath. We have been related 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.
Loads of these applied sciences have been cool to see, however except for the powertrain and battery expertise, Honda wouldn’t give any type of affirmation or timeline as to when they may really be carried out in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working a number of expertise out, and that’s tremendous, 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 now have but to see a bonafide Honda 0 Sequence 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 present fashions.
Check driving Honda’s new 0 Sequence 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 truly drive its new 0 platform, offering media with two all-electric prototypes to check out.
They might appear like a standard CR-V and Accord from the pictures beneath, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery expertise talked about above. Resulting from 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 pondering it was decrease and extra comparable in design to the Saloon idea, and bought 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 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 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 in a position to get the total 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 could sometime have the ability to select completely 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 hear:
Like a lot of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t affirm or deny if and when this UX characteristic can be obtainable to clients. Nonetheless, it’s a superb concept for many who wish to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly because the sound just isn’t projected exterior the car 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 can 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
For my part, probably the most fascinating features of our tour round Honda’s services was a have a look at its pilot manufacturing traces the place future 0 BEVs can be inbuilt Japan. This included an indication 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 scale back the variety of components 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 wonderful friction welding that can allow Honda to extra effectively construct modular EV IPUs to suite plenty of physique sizes.
One other demonstration I discovered fairly fascinating was the world’s first software of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding expertise. The approach maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, decreasing 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 certainly making a aware effort to compete within the BEV market with its upcoming 0 Sequence. I noticed a number 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 number of phrases like “sometime” and “sooner or later,” however there aren’t any clear timelines for when and if among the launched expertise 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 carried out into BEVs at the moment 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 grow to be the chief within the area throughout all Japanese automakers.
The Saloon idea is way bigger and roomier up shut, and its total design is in contrast to anything on the street proper now. Will probably be thrilling to see how shut a manufacturing 0 Sequence 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. Based on 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 be sure you report again at the moment.
FTC: We use revenue incomes auto affiliate hyperlinks. Extra.
