New Honda 0 Series aims to make Japanese brand a serious EV player

Honda is finally ready to get serious on electric cars – and CEO Toshihiro Mibe has spelled out to Auto Express how the 0 Series will be central to its strategy.

Mabe announced in an interview at the company’s Tochigi plant in Japan: “As we move from the early stage to the widespread adoption stage, the time has come to invest resources in our EV strategy. It's not like we don't have the technology to produce EVs, so we want to compete globally in the future market. Honda 0 Series is a lifeline to the future.”

Honda initially provided a brief overview on its plans for the 0 Series in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year, showcasing a new design language with a sleek, futuristic saloon and a larger, more practical ‘Space-Hub’, which isn’t expected to reach the market. 

This will be followed by yet another small SUV in 2029, before a compact saloon rounds things off in 2030. Honda has said we can expect all those models here in Europe.

While some have been left wondering if Honda has left it too late to emerge as a force in the EV market following the disappointing Honda e and mundane e:Ny1, Mibe remains positive  about the future, despite the Japanese market having proven relatively slow to embrace pure EVs, which account for only around three per cent of new car sales currently.

Mibe said: “I don't think we're lagging behind in EVs. Although we have the [EV] technology, we believe that it is not good to increase the number of units when the business is not established, so we are considering full-scale expansion based on the best timing.” 

Despite the lack of electric cars on sale from Honda – at the moment, there’s only the e:Ny1 in the UK  –  Mibe reiterated Honda’s commitment to the European market, where pure EVs account for 14.6 per cent of total sales. 

While other car manufacturers are revising historical names and/or designs to help stand out against Chinese competition, such as the Renault 5, Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Ford Capri, Honda is hoping its EV technology and driving dynamics will provide the appeal. 

Toshihiro Akiwa, Head of Honda’s BEV Development Center told us: “The strength of Honda is fun cars, which have a long history. Although it will not be easy as the [EV] battery is heavy, we will use our existing hardware know-how while incorporating the latest technology to provide customers with the pleasure of driving.” 

To back this up, Honda will heavily promote a new marketing slogan for the 0 Series: “thin, light, wise”. The ‘thin’ element refers to the battery shape itself, which is encased using new welding techniques to help reduce intrusion into the cabin and lower the overall profile. ‘Light’ applies to the aluminium body frame, which Honda says will help to lower kerbweights by 100kg. 

The examples given for ‘wise’, meanwhile, are wide-ranging and fascinating. There’s 3D gyroscope stabilisation (inspired by Honda’s humanoid robot, Asimo) to improve handling; regenerative braking based on steer-by-wire; an exterior camera that can predict if you want the doors or bootlid opened; and AI technology that will scan occupants and suggest functions based on real-time behaviour. 

On the latter point, we asked Honda what privacy issues might arise from the use of this tech, and were told that it will “adhere to [the] regulations of each market”.

While it’s clear that the 0 Series will come with some truly advanced technology, having class-leading range doesn’t appear to be a priority. Using 400V architecture, Honda says we can expect battery sizes of 80kWh for the ‘medium’ battery pack and “over 100kWh” for the larger pack. More than 300 miles of range was quoted for the medium battery, although the larger battery will have a “much higher” range, we were told.