Japanese car maker commits to EVs with innovative seven-model rollout by 2030
CHARLIE MARTIN
Honda is working on a Tesla Model 3-rivalling saloon as one of seven radical new electric cars that it plans to bring to market by 2030.
The saloon is part of the firm’s new 0 Series, which represents a total reset of how the firm develops EVs. The seven 0 Series cars will prioritise weight reduction and aerodynamic performance and stand out for “the joy of driving”, said the company.
Honda is developing the models with a “thin” ethos, minimising the number of parts used in each model and adopting lightweight aluminium chassis structures. Those chassis will eventually be die-casted to reduce part complexity and therefore weight and costs.
Each will be driven by a pair of e-axles, comprising a motor, inverter and gearbox within a single unit and providing a claimed weight saving of around 100kg compared with Honda’s existing EVs.
Heavy components, such as the power unit and battery, will be mounted low and centrally, which will in turn reduce floor thickness to both further cut weight and provide a more sporting driving position.
Complexity will be further reduced by the inclusion of a central computer, rather than the array of chips deployed conventionally on cars. This will again reduce costs while also improving the speed of digital functions and allowing for level-three autonomous driving capabilities.
Honda is targeting a real-world range of 300 miles for the new EV line-up, but the compact saloon, due in 2030 as the final entrant to the range, is likely to be the lowest and sleekest 0 Series model, and therefore the most efficient and longest-legged.
The company will launch seven 0 Series cars by 2030, starting with a larger saloon in 2026. It will be joined by ‘mid-size’ and ‘entry-level’ SUVs that same year, with a three-row SUV to rival the Kia EV9 arriving in 2027.
A ‘compact’ competitor for the Model Y will follow a year later, before a small SUV comes in 2029 and then the Model 3-rivalling saloon in 2030.
In the face of fluctuating demand for electric cars, and with rival firms announcing fresh plans to launch new hybrid models over the coming years, Honda remains committed to its long-term electrification objectives.
The firm “has not changed its belief that EVs are the most effective solution in the area of small mobility products such as motorcycles
