Coming as early as 2026
Honda is serious about the Lambo-like electric car
Honda is betting everything on its new 0-Series e-label. At CES, two near-production prototypes show where the journey is heading. On board for the first time: the cult robot Asimo.
A year ago, the Japanese presented corresponding concept cars in the same place and surprised everyone by stating that they were already relatively close to series production, at least as far as the body shape was concerned. That sounded almost unbelievable, because the two vehicles looked very unusual. A Honda reminiscent of a Lamborghini? But the current exhibits dispel any doubts, especially the one that makes you think of a classic Lamborghini.
It all starts as early as 2026
The two new models, a crossover and a van-like saloon, are set to shape the face of the new Honda 0-Series electric label from as early as 2026. But that's just the beginning. Honda plans to launch seven battery models by 2030 and is investing 60 billion dollars in them. This includes a new factory in Alliston, Ontario, Canada, where 240,000 cars will roll off the production line every year from 2028. By 2040, Honda aims to sell 100 percent electric and fuel cell vehicles globally. By 2050, Honda aims to be completely CO2 neutral. A paradigm shift for what is currently still the world's largest engine manufacturer.
The two near-production show cars that are in the spotlight here in the player city are consistent further developments of the concept vehicles that Honda presented here at the beginning of last year. Above all, the almost five-meter-long van saloon, which has only been modified with fine brushstrokes, once again shows the courage that Honda has long lacked. A futuristic design, as if from the hand of old master Bertone. Angular, extravagant and reduced, not really pretty, but perhaps groundbreaking.
Much of this spaceship is designed for the era of autonomous driving. Consistent lightweight construction, low production costs and optimum use of space were at the top of the to-do list. Above an extremely flat battery in the basement, there is plenty of space above for the best entertainment in car mode.
The second star of the show is a crossover that straddles the worlds. Smooth and flush at the front like a modern ambassador of the electric SUV guild, blessed with a mighty rucksack at the back, as if it wanted to collect rock samples on the planet Jupiter. A remnant of last year's Space Hub study. Anyone who is unfamiliar with the design today may find it ingenious tomorrow. Who knows?
Disappointing on-board voltage
Under the bonnet, both electric vehicles are identical and are based on the new EV architecture from Japan's number two. Honda is not yet commenting politely but firmly on technical details. However, it is clear that two compact electric motors distribute over 300 hp to both axles. A classic lithium-ion battery with an expected 80 kWh should be good for a range of around 500 kilometers. In order to keep the prices as attractive as possible, the engineers admit that only a 400-volt charging architecture is currently planned. This would hardly be state of the art even today.
Honda obviously wants to score points in the field of software, supported by self-learning artificial intelligence. And for this, the Japanese are bringing Asimo on board. The iconic humanoid robot, which became the star of robotics in the 2000s, also lends its name to the new 0-series operating system: Asimo OS.Continuously evolving towards behavior control, Asimo has "looked" closely at what colleague humans are up to, what they want, how they behave.
The new system developed in-house is intended to create the basis for Level 3 automated driving. In this case, the vehicle takes the wheel and the driver can focus on other things. Meanwhile, the AI learns to better assess people, machines and specific driving situations with every kilometer and optimizes the operating system. It's a brave new world that Honda would like to make its mark on again in the future with the help of future cooperation partners Nissan and Mitsubishi. At the CES, the Japanese, not at all reservedly Asian, declared that they want to become the first car manufacturer to enable driving without any eye contact with the road in every conceivable driving situation.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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