Honda's Awesome Pair Of EV Concepts Show The Brand Is Getting Serious About Electric Cars

Honda is getting serious about electric vehicles. The automaker, which has been a bit behind the curve when it comes to EVs, has unveiled a pair of electric concepts as part of their new Honda 0 series called the Saloon and Space-Hub at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

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Photo: Andy Kalmowitz

The new 0 Series is meant to symbolize the automaker’s new direction when it comes to both design and engineering. Everything comes from three core principles with this new line of cars: Thin, Light and Wise. Honda says they counter the traditional constraints of EVs while building on Honda’s “M/M” (man maximum/machine minimum) philosophy.

Photo: Honda

“These principles will be reflected in key areas like the use of a dedicated ‘thin’ EV platform that creates a low floor for aerodynamic performance and software-defined mobility products for a ‘wiser’ and intelligent user experience,” Honda said in a statement.

All of the models in this series will feature a new design language from Honda called “The Art of Resonance,” which the automaker says “brings together the environment, society, and users in harmony.” That’s some beautiful marketing speak if you ask me.

The Saloon

Photo: Honda

Honda says its new 0 Series will officially launch in 2026, and the first production car in North America will be based on this Saloon concept. It’ll be followed by model launches in Japan, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America. The Saloon is considered the flagship in the Honda 0 Series lineup, and it’ll be riding on a dedicated EV platform that should deliver on Honda’s”M/M” packaging concept mentioned earlier.

As is the way with most eco-friendly concepts, the Saloon will have bountiful sustainable materials throughout the interior and exterior. Right now, we’ve only got renderings of the interior, but Honda says the instrument panel “features a human-machine interface (HMI)” that will allow for “simple and intuitive operations” It’ll also apparently have “excellent visibility and a sporty driving position.” Hell yeah, I love those things.

Photo: Honda

Mechanically, Honda says the Saloon will debut advancements of new steer-by-wire and motion control systems. As it turns out, the Saloon is supposed to be a bit of a driver’s car. Who doesn’t love that? It certainly looks the part from the outside with its wedge shape up front and sort-of fastback body style. It doesn’t really look like anything else, and that’s neat. I don’t know if it’s actually a saloon, but who cares about silly naming conventions anyway?

The Space-Hub

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The Saloon isn’t the only car Honda introduced to the world at CES. It also brought us the Space-Hub, which is sort of a minivan/MPV-looking thing. Honda says it was developed under the theme of “augmenting people’s daily lives.” I don’t know what the hell that means, but it does sound provocative. It gets the people going.

Photo: Honda

Honda adds that the inside of the Space-Hub is based on the “Thin, Light and Wise” development approach we talked about before. “The Space-Hub offers a flexible space that immediately accommodates a variety of passengers and becomes a ‘hub’ that connects people to each other and the outside world,” according to Honda.

A New Logo

Photo: Honda

To go along with this new era of electric Hondas, the automaker is also launching a new “H” logo that’ll be used exclusively on its next-generation EV models. For those playing at home, the current Honda logo has been around since 1981. It may be signifying the future of Honda, but if you ask me it looks a hell of a lot like their older logo, not that that’s a bad thing! I think it’s neat.

“This new design expression, which symbolizes two outstretched hands, represents Honda’s commitment to expand the possibilities of mobility and continue to meet the needs of its customers,” the automaker said.

New Tech

Photo: Honda

This new line of cars from Honda will also come with new tech for the brand, including an advanced driver-assistive system (ADAS) program that’ll use tech found in Honda’s Sensing Elite system that first hit the scene on the 2021 Honda Legend in Japan.

On top of that, 0 Series models will also get “next generation” automated driving features that use artificial intelligence to “achieve more human-like, natural and high-precision risk predictions,” which Honda hopes will make users feel more confident with the systems. The 0 Series vehicles will also utilize a bespoke operating system that uses AI and driver data so that the vehicle will learn the driver’s preferences and behaviors.

The batteries and drivetrain will also be all-new for 0 Series vehicles – unlike Honda’s current couple of EVs that are based on GM’s Ultium architecture. “E-Axles” will apparently allow for “excellent power and efficiency along with lightweight packaging,” according to Honda. They’ll get juice from a high-density battery that is meant to address concerns about charging time, with fast charging times from 15 percent to 80 percent shortened by about 10-15 minutes. Honda also plans to minimize battery degradation to less than 10 percent after 10 years of use.

“The mobility we dream of is not an extension of the trend of ‘thick, heavy, but smart’ EVs,” Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda, said in a statement. “We will create a completely new value from zero based on thin, light and wise as the foundation for our new Honda 0 EV series to further advance the joy and freedom of mobility to the next level.”