We have been one of many first to check drive Honda’s 0 Sequence EV platform

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 world R&D heart, manufacturing amenities, and another cool spots to share perception on the expertise it’s seeking to implement in future 0 fashions. We additionally have been one of many first on this planet 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 may be nonetheless loads we don’t know concerning the expertise we’ll see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Sequence lineup. Nevertheless, what we now have discovered is encouraging and thrilling from a Japanese automaker that has been a bit late to the BEV get together.

Honda unveiled plans for its new 0 Sequence in Las Vegas throughout CES 2024, the place it unveiled two preliminary idea automobiles 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 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 discovered Honda’s first passenger EV, the 0 Sequence, can be based mostly on the Saloon idea and is anticipated 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 now have a greater thought of what kind of expertise and manufacturing methods the modern OEM is seeking 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 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 higher perceive the expertise that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in improvement, the corporate invited a number of media from all over the world, 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 vice chairman and head of BEV improvement. 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 era of autos for the all-electric period.

Design and improvement are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, gentle, and sensible,” that are on the heart 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 scorching 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 attention-grabbing friction welding to permit for optimum effectivity and thus vary.

Honda just isn’t making an attempt to blow individuals away with its vary, however as a substitute has tried to maximise area and preserve light-weight and effectivity to assist maintain 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 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 bought an opportunity to stroll by and expertise skilled explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV workforce. These included a number of new applied sciences that Honda will implement or no less than 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 cut back the automobile’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 goal to supply “experiences that make individuals need to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally permit for arms off, eyes off Stage 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

Honda 0 Sequence fashions can be outfitted with a system that permits the enlargement of the vary of driving circumstances the place driver help and Stage 3 automated driving (eyes off) can be accessible. The enlargement will begin with eyes-off expertise accessible in site visitors congestion on highways, then proceed by 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 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 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 attention-grabbing social characteristic Honda is exploring by which a driver can loop their buddy into the automotive journey whereas they’re at residence by way of VR headset.

Try the video we captured beneath. We have been linked dwell to another Honda workers in one other a part of Japan and rode together with them. We have 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 have been cool to see, however except for the powertrain and battery expertise, Honda wouldn’t give any kind of affirmation or timeline as to when they are going to truly be carried out in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working a whole lot of expertise out, and that’s superb, 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. 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 Sequence 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 might seem like a conventional CR-V and Accord from the photographs beneath, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery expertise talked about above. Attributable to time contraints, we have 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 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 comfy, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, but it surely’s laborious 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 capable of get the total expertise of Hond’s subsequent era 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 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 choice to decide on Honda Jet noises. Have a pay attention:

Like many of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t affirm 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 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 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, some of the attention-grabbing points of our tour round Honda’s amenities was a have a look at its pilot manufacturing traces the place future 0 BEVs can be in-built 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 capable of 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 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 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 rising 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 Sequence. 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 retaining 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 among the launched expertise 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 carried out into BEVs at present in the marketplace, but it surely’s fairly clear that the Japanese automaker is seeking to optimize and grasp these components to face out. I see a real alternative right here for Honda to actually embrace BEVs and develop 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 not like the rest on the highway proper now. It will likely 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 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 fascinated with skipping CES this yr, however now I need to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We are going to be sure you report again at the moment.