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 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 so much we don’t know concerning the expertise we are going to see in Honda’s future all-electric 0 Sequence lineup. Nonetheless, what we’ve realized 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 stated would function precursors to manufacturing fashions for the worldwide market. That unveiling included the “Area Hub” being developed beneath the thought of “augmenting folks’s every 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 realized Honda’s first passenger EV, the 0 Sequence, might be based mostly on the Saloon idea and is anticipated 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 per 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 quite a lot of cool stuff to unpack right here, so let’s dig in.
Honda launched a slew of recent 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 around the globe, together with Electrek, to a Honda 0 Tech Assembly, held at its World Plaza in Tochigi, Japan, about 140 km north of Tokyo.
Through 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 collection, a reputation that represents a contemporary begin and a brand new era of autos 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 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 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 making an attempt to blow folks 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 are extra reasonably priced. 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 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 acquired an opportunity to stroll via and expertise professional explanations and demonstrations from the Honda BEV staff. These included a number of new applied sciences that Honda will implement or at the very least 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 cut back the automobile’s general weight by 100kg (220 lbs) in comparison with earlier EV fashions like the Prologue.
We additionally acquired 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 purpose to supply “experiences that make folks need to exit extra spontaneously” and can finally enable for arms off, eyes off Stage 3 automated driving. Per Honda:
Honda 0 Sequence fashions might be geared up with a system that allows the growth of the vary of driving circumstances the place driver help and Stage 3 automated driving (eyes off) might be out there. The growth will begin with eyes-off expertise out there in site visitors congestion on highways, then proceed via 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 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 motive force and their passengers, and may even distinguish if a pet is within the automobile and counsel that it might be time for them to cease for a potty break. Lastly, we acquired to demo an fascinating social characteristic Honda is exploring through which a driver can loop their pal into the automobile experience whereas they’re at residence by way of VR headset.
Take a look at the video we captured under. We have been linked stay to another Honda staff 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 outdoors the automobile because it moved.
A variety of these applied sciences have been cool to see, however apart from the powertrain and battery expertise, Honda wouldn’t give any kind of affirmation or timeline as to when they’ll truly be applied in a manufacturing mannequin. Clearly they’re nonetheless working quite a lot of expertise out, and that’s positive, 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’ve 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 current fashions.
Check driving Honda’s new 0 Sequence structure
It wasn’t a Saloon, however 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 could seem like a standard CR-V and Accord from the photographs under, however these distinctive builds are 100% electrical, and have the e-Axle and thinner battery expertise talked about above. Because of 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 pondering it was decrease and extra related in design to the Saloon idea, and acquired 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 easy however not mind-boggling, and the dealing with was fairly snug, even at excessive speeds. Forgive me for my lack of actual element, however it’s exhausting 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 complete expertise of Hond’s subsequent era of autos, 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 be capable to 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 hear:
Like a lot of the tech we noticed in Tochigi, Honda couldn’t verify or deny if and when this UX characteristic can be out there to clients. Nonetheless, it’s a superb thought for individuals who need to go electrical however nonetheless love the roar of a Honda engine, particularly because the sound is just not projected outdoors 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 might be applied 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
For my part, some of the fascinating features of our tour round Honda’s amenities was a take a look at its pilot manufacturing traces the place future 0 BEVs might 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 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 superb friction welding that can 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 approach maximizes warmth distribution to a weld, decreasing 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 certainly making a 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 maintaining 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 number 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 applied into BEVs presently available on the market, however it’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 really embrace BEVs and change 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 in contrast to the rest on the highway 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. 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 enthusiastic about skipping CES this 12 months, however now I need to see what Honda unveils subsequent. We are going to you should definitely report again at the moment.
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