Honda released one of the more interesting concepts at last year\u2019s CES with two Honda Zero prototypes: the Saloon and the Space-Hub<\/a>. It promised to come back in a year with something a little closer to production. But rather than temper those space-age design elements, Honda leaned into them. Way in. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV<\/a> retain a lot of what made the concepts so weird and different \u2014\u00a0and not necessarily in an off-putting way. But it\u2019s definitely not the electric CR-V that customers have been begging the company<\/a> to make for years. In fact, Honda seems to be saying to all those people who want normie-looking EVs, \u201cWe see you. We hear you. We don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Much has already been said about the similarities between these Honda Zero prototypes and certain iconic vehicles from the \u201970s and \u201980s, like the Lamborghini Countach<\/a>, AMC Gremlin<\/a>, Aston Martin Lagonda Shooting Brake<\/a>, and (h\/t Jason Torchinsky<\/a>) the Brubaker Box<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n My theory is that Honda is reaching for these design inspirations as a way to offset the future shock of an ultra-minimalist interior and all the marketing speak about \u201csoftware-defined vehicles.\u201d After all, Honda\u2019s real announcement this year was the operating system it developed in-house, named after its iconic Asimo robot. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Zero EVs mostly feel like a lot of window dressing for the actual product, which is software. What better way to draw people into listening to a TED talk about \u201chigh-performance system-on-a-chip\u201d than to stand in front of a car that looks like it should be floating in low orbit? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n One of the things I noticed about the Saloon was the lack of a rear window \u2014\u00a0that rounded rectangle in the back isn\u2019t transparent. The depth effect is very impressive, but it\u2019s not obscuring an incognito window. It\u2019s just the taillight. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Something else that caught my attention was the lack of sideview mirrors. Honda is using cameras instead. Drivers who want to check their blind spots will need to use two screens embedded at either end of the long piece of glass that spans the length of the dashboard. Of course, US safety regulations require regular old sideview mirrors, so this seems mostly aspirational. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The SUV is less \u201cout there\u201d than the Saloon, and that probably means we\u2019re likely to see some version of it on US roads before the sedan. There\u2019s definitely a rear window, and the airiness of the greenhouse seems to allude to Honda Zero\u2019s design principles of \u201cthin, light, and wise.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n We don\u2019t have any specs for either vehicle, though Honda has said<\/a> that its Zero EVs will draw from the automaker\u2019s Formula 1 racing experience. The automaker is also aiming for optimum battery efficiency through its e-Axle system consisting of a motor, inverter, and gearbox that convert electric power into energy for driving. Each EV is expected to have around 300 miles of range, which translates to an 80\u201390kWh battery. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Other important details include an effort to consolidate electronic control units, similar to Rivian\u2019s recently relaunched R1 vehicles<\/a>. By reducing the number of components and wiring, Honda is clearly trying to limit its costs in an environment where the price of production seems to be on the rise. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The absence of anything remotely resembling a physical knob or dial inside either vehicle is a pretty good sign that automakers continue to ignore the pleas of customers<\/a> to stop porting every last bit of functionality through its digital interfaces. Yes, I\u2019m an old man yelling at clouds<\/a>, but for the love of god, give me something to twist or push. Trying to adjust the heat by tapping blindly at a smooth pane of glass while careening down a highway at 75mph isn\u2019t exactly my idea of a good time. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The yoke is… a yoke. Automakers love their steering yokes! But when it comes time to actually put something into production, they mostly retreat back to wheel shapes. The moonroof is another one of those features that suggest \u201cthin\u201d principles. And obviously, Honda\u2019s promise that its Zero vehicles will come with Level 3 autonomy<\/a>, also known as \u201chands-off, eyes-off\u201d driving, needs a lot more explanation. What\u2019s the handoff between autonomous system and driver look like? And how will it account for our very human tendency to zone out when we\u2019re not actively engaged in driving?<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHonda 0 Saloon<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Honda 0 SUV<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Interior<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n