Honda Motor revealed two concept cars Tuesday at the CES tech conference as a preview for a new lineup of electrified vehicles that will begin arriving in North America in 2026.
The concept models are called the “Space-Hub” and “Saloon,” which the first production “Honda 0 Series” EV will be based on, according to the Japanese automaker. Honda says the new “0 Series” of vehicles are being developed under three core principles: “Thin, light and wise.”
“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,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in a release.
Honda plans to introduce the first model of the Honda 0 Series based on the Saloon concept in North America, followed by model introductions in Japan, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and South America.
The Saloon is a sleek, futuristic-looking vehicle that seems fit for “Tron” movies, with a large open-mouthed front-end light in neon lighting with a redesigned Honda “H” in the center. The back, like the front, features a large indented rectangular area with red lighting around the interior with “Honda” in the center.
Inside, the Saloon features a minimalistic digital cockpit with a yolk steering wheel, which is similar to concept cars from other companies that have debuted at CES. To enter, a large falcon wing door opens upward from the roof of the vehicle.
The Space-Hub is a minivan/shuttle that includes the same type of design characteristics as the smaller Saloon but in larger formats. Its interior features a similar cockpit, but it has a cavernous back area with lounge-type seating.
Both concepts appear to be designed to feature autonomous driving capabilities: the steering yolk is able to retract into the dashboard of each.
Honda said 0 Series will first feature an advanced driver-assistive system based on technologies first deployed in Japan, followed by a next-generation “automated driving,” or AD, system. The company says the upcoming system will expand the use of some hands-off functions for use on both expressways and surface streets.
“The next generation AD system is being developed based on Honda’s ‘human-centric’ safety concept. It will feature advanced AI, sensing, recognition and driver monitoring technologies to achieve more human-like, natural and high-precision risk predictions, making it possible to offer AD features people can feel safe and confident using,” Honda said in the release.
Honda did not release exact specifications or performance expectations for the concept vehicles or upcoming EVs other than projections for recharging.
The company said the Honda 0 Series models launching in the late 2020s will be capable of fast charging from 15% to 80% of battery capacity in about 10 to 15 minutes.
Don’t miss these stories from CNBC PRO:
Read the full article here
