We had 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 behind the scenes at its international R&D heart, manufacturing amenities, and another cool spots to share perception on the know-how it’s seeking to implement in future 0 fashions. We additionally had 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 be taught beneath, there may be nonetheless quite a bit we don’t know concerning the know-how we’ll see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Sequence lineup. Nevertheless, what we have now 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 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 “Area Hub” being developed underneath the thought of “augmenting individuals’s every 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, will probably be primarily based 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 every week in Japan with Honda, we have now a greater thought of what kind of know-how and manufacturing strategies the progressive 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 quite a 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 know-how that went into Honda’s nascent lineup of BEV fashions in improvement, the corporate invited a number of media from around the globe, 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 improvement. Right here, the Honda executives broke down a number of new concepts generated for the 0 sequence, a reputation that represents a contemporary begin and a brand new technology of autos for the all-electric period.

Design and improvement are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, gentle, and smart,” 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 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 attention-grabbing friction welding to permit for max effectivity and thus vary.

Honda shouldn’t be attempting to blow individuals away with its vary, however as an alternative has tried to maximise area and keep 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 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 developed from its hybrid EV developmen however have been downsized to attain a horizontal structure 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 and expertise skilled explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV workforce. These included a number of new applied sciences that Honda will implement or a minimum of 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 scale back the automobile’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 Sequence ADAS that it says will purpose to supply “experiences that make individuals wish to exit extra spontaneously” and can ultimately enable for arms off, eyes off Stage 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

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

Different UX demos we noticed had 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 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 automobile and recommend 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 by which a driver can loop their pal into the automobile experience whereas they’re at dwelling by way of VR headset.

Take a look at the video we captured beneath. We had been related stay to another Honda staff in one other a part of Japan and rode together with them. We had been in a position to talk and request songs, and even rise up and get a view from exterior the automobile because it moved.

A whole lot 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 quite a lot of know-how out, and that’s tremendous, as we gained’t see the primary Honda 0 EV (primarily based on the Saloon) till 2026, however six extra BEV fashions are anticipated to reach by 2030.

Since we have now 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 current fashions.

Check driving Honda’s new 0 Sequence structure

It wasn’t a Saloon, nevertheless it was one thing. From Tochigi, Honda organized a possibility 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 could appear to be 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 know-how talked about above. As a consequence of time contraints, we had 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 related in design to the Saloon idea, and received to do three leaps round Honda’s native take a look at 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, nevertheless it’s onerous 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 in a position to get the total expertise of Hond’s subsequent technology of autos, 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 prospects might sometime be capable of 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 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 prospects. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful thought for individuals who wish to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly because the sound shouldn’t be projected exterior the automobile 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 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 strategies, which admittedly blew me away.

Different highlights from the Honda Tech Assembly 2024

In my view, 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 will probably be inbuilt 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 components 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 actually wonderful friction welding that may allow Honda to extra effectively construct modular EV IPUs to suite quite a few physique sizes.

One other demonstration I discovered fairly attention-grabbing was the world’s first utility of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding know-how. The approach maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, lowering automobile 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 certainly making a acutely aware effort to compete within the BEV market with its upcoming 0 Sequence. I noticed quite a lot of innovation, significantly inside its pilot manufacturing traces, however there was a sense of secrecy as Honda remains to be protecting a lot of its hand near its chest.

We media have heard quite a lot of phrases like “sometime” and “sooner or later,” however there are not any clear timelines for when and if a few of 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 seeking to optimize and grasp these parts 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 way bigger and roomier up shut, and its general design is not like the rest 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 be taught, is that Honda is planning to unveil a second 0 sequence 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 through the 0 Tech Assembly 2024.”

I used to be excited 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.