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 behind the scenes at its world R&D heart, manufacturing services, 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 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 under, 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’ve 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 vehicles it mentioned would function precursors to manufacturing fashions for the worldwide market. That unveiling included the “House Hub” being developed beneath the thought of “augmenting individuals’s day by day lives,” and the “Saloon” (seen above and under” 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 likely be primarily based 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’ve a greater thought of what kind of expertise and manufacturing strategies the revolutionary 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 loads 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 world wide, together with Electrek, to a Honda 0 Tech Assembly, held at its World Plaza in Tochigi, Japan, about 140 km north of Tokyo.

Throughout 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 growth. 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 technology of automobiles for the all-electric period.

Design and growth are centered round three core beliefs – “Skinny, mild, and clever,” 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 possibly can see extra of under. The BEV-specific structure enabled Honda to develop thinner battery packs utilizing some actually fascinating friction welding to permit for max effectivity and thus vary.

Honda is just not attempting to blow individuals away with its vary, however as an alternative has tried to maximise house and keep light-weight and effectivity to assist maintain manufacturing prices down and ship new fashions which are extra reasonably priced. 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 format to maximise cabin house and permit for decrease proper heights.

After our presentation and Q&A with Honda’s executives, we obtained an opportunity to stroll by means of and expertise knowledgeable explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV crew. 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 take a look at the 0 platform’s new steering stability index that may flex the automobile physique in actual time to manage every tire’s load whereas cornering. This physique rigidity design additionally allowed Honda to scale back the automobile’s total weight by 100kg (220 lbs) in comparison with earlier EV fashions like the Prologue.

We additionally obtained a take 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 wish to exit extra spontaneously” and can ultimately permit for palms off, eyes off Degree 3 automated driving. Per Honda:

Honda 0 Sequence fashions will likely be outfitted with a system that allows the enlargement of the vary of driving situations the place driver help and Degree 3 automated driving (eyes off) will likely be accessible. The enlargement will begin with eyes-off expertise accessible in site visitors congestion on highways, then proceed by means of the OTA updates of the features.

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 if you’re carrying a baby 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 may even distinguish if a pet is within the automotive and counsel that it might be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we obtained to demo an fascinating social characteristic Honda is exploring wherein a driver can loop their buddy into the automotive experience whereas they’re at house through VR headset.

Take a look at the video we captured under. We have been linked reside to another Honda workers 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 arise and get a view from outdoors the automotive because it moved.

A whole lot 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 may really be carried out in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working loads of expertise 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’ve but to see a bonafide Honda 0 Sequence manufacturing mannequin emerge, we couldn’t drive one. Nonetheless, the automaker did provide a possibility to check out the brand new 0 structure put in beneath a few of its current fashions.

Take a look at driving Honda’s new 0 Sequence structure

It wasn’t a Saloon, however 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 might seem like a conventional CR-V and Accord from the pictures under, 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 in a position to 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 related in design to the Saloon idea, and obtained to do three leaps round Honda’s native take a look at monitor.

My first impression is that it drives like an EV. The response is fast, acceleration is easy however not mind-boggling, and the dealing with was fairly comfy, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, however it’s arduous 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 automobiles, however 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 might 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 choice to decide on Honda Jet noises. Have a pay attention:

Like many of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t verify or deny if and when this UX characteristic could be accessible to clients. Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful thought for many who wish to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly for the reason that sound is just not projected outdoors 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 likely be carried out sooner or later. Nonetheless, the journey had loads of different highlights, together with a take a look at Honda’s new manufacturing strategies, which admittedly blew me away.

Different highlights from the Honda Tech Assembly 2024

In my view, one of the crucial fascinating features of our tour round Honda’s services was a take a look at its pilot manufacturing strains the place future 0 BEVs will likely 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 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 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 fascinating was the world’s first utility of Honda’s proprietary Fixed DC Chopping (CDC) welding expertise. The method 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 unquestionably making a aware effort to compete within the BEV market with its upcoming 0 Sequence. I noticed loads of innovation, significantly inside its pilot manufacturing strains, however there was a sense of secrecy as Honda remains to be conserving a lot of its hand near its chest.

We media have heard loads of phrases like “sometime” and “sooner or later,” however there are not any clear timelines for when and if a few of the launched expertise will make its means into manufacturing fashions. Maybe it was a tad too early for a Tech Day, however it was an informative and thrilling expertise nonetheless.

A lot of the tech Honda launched has already been carried out into BEVs presently available on the market, however 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 turn out to be the chief within the house throughout all Japanese automakers.

The Saloon idea is way bigger and roomier up shut, and its total design is not like anything on the highway proper now. It is going to 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. In keeping 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 fascinated by skipping CES this 12 months, however now I wish to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We’ll you should definitely report again at the moment.