new Honda 0 EV fashions inch nearer to manufacturing

Honda kicked off the 2025 Shopper Electronics Present (CES) in excessive type right now with the worldwide debut of the primary two fashions in its new 0 Sequence of EVs set to roll off the road in 2026 – alongside along with your latest highway journey buddy: ASIMO (!).

With discuss of synthetic intelligence and robotics starting to overwhelm the dialogue round forward-looking cars, it’s price noting that Honda has been creating each superior AIs and humanoid robots for many years – most notably the pleasant, faceless ASIMO robotic that promised to deal with lonely seniors (versus Tesla’s Optimus, which guarantees to take your union job and put your loved ones on the road).

As an enormous fan of the OG ASIMO, I used to be genuinely delighted to see the pleasant robotic’s identify featured prominently within the official press launch saying the brand new 0 Sequence.

Welcome again, ASIMO

In its newest iteration, ASIMO isn’t a cuddly robotic, however a brand new, authentic automobile working system developed by Honda that, the model hopes, will supply a equally pleasant e-mobility expertise to 0 Sequence drivers.

ASIMO has discovered so much from different proprietary automobile OSs, too. For starters, it’s continuously updating the in-vehicle software program via over the air (OTA) updates for each the digital UX and built-in dynamics controls that can enable Honda to ship, “a customized possession expertise that can improve the enjoyment of driving.”

For 0 Sequence drivers who discover extra pleasure in texting than steering, ASIMO may also be managing an up to date model of Honda SENSING Elite – a Stage 3 autonomous ADAS answer first seen on the 2021 Honda Legend within the Japanese Market.

2021 Honda Legend

Which is nice data for Honda lovers – however you’re not right here to speak a few 5 12 months outdated, ICE-powered, Japan-only sedan. That is Electrek, and also you’re right here for the brand new hotness, and that begins with a take a look at the brand new, electrical Honda 0 SUV.

2026 Honda 0 SUV

Additional creating the themes first proven in final 12 months’s Honda Area-Hub idea and based mostly on Honda’s new, internally-developed EV structure, the 0 SUV would be the first “all Honda” EV to hit the US market when begins rolling off the manufacturing line on the Honda EV Hub in Ohio within the first half of 2026.

That’s proper, youngsters: the brand new Honda EVs will likely be made within the USA, deftly avoiding any potential tariffs and heralding the outcomes of greater than $5 billion of funding in American manufacturing on Honda’s half – one thing that’s refreshing to see in a market the place company information has been dominated by multi-billion greenback inventory buybacks and labor disputes in current months.

Particulars like battery capability, energy and torque, dynamic efficiency figures, and even driving vary are restricted – if not nonexistent. That stated, it’s protected to imagine that the

2026 Honda 0 Saloon

Over on the sedan facet, the prototype Honda 0 Saloon is a stone-cold stunner. One in all my fellow journalists remarked that it appeared extra like, “a Lamborghini Saloon than a Honda,” and the comment was met with realizing nods. For certain, there’s a LOT of Honda’s iconic, Pininfarina-designed HPX idea from 1984 within the new 0 Saloon’s profile – however that’s wholly intentional, and the HPX was alluded to as one of many firm’s stylistic touchpoints when the 0 Sequence idea made its debut eventually 12 months’s CES.

Just like the SUV, the Saloon announcement is gentle on particulars. Nonetheless, the corporate says the brand new automotive will characteristic a number of next-generation applied sciences that, “embody the ‘Skinny, Gentle and Clever’ growth method of the Honda 0 Sequence.

Being none of these issues, I’d like to listen to extra about horsepower and torque – or, no less than, have a greater understanding of how these rear home windows are presupposed to go up and down.

That stated, this can be a prototype. That’s completely different from a idea within the sense that almost all idea automobiles have nearly no likelihood at manufacturing. In distinction, a prototype is simply that: the primary (proto) of its form (kind). It’s kind of promise to stakeholders that one thing actually very a lot an entire lot simply. Like. This. Is coming … and perhaps even coming quickly.

Charging the 0 Sequence

At a Honda roundtable dialogue forward of CES2025, Honda North America executives mentioned EV charging – and the sensation was that Honda, like Tesla, was able to take accountability for the complete EV possession expertise by enjoying an even bigger function in IONNA, the 7 OEM collaboration launched final February.

We’re not going to see Honda-branded chargers, however Honda insists it isn’t going to depart the charging expertise to another person, both.

“The purpose is to have ASIMO ship dwell journey planning and cost level routing, however customise the expertise because it will get to know you,” explains Jay Joseph, VP of Sustainability and Enterprise Improvement at Honda North America (paraphrasing). “Whether or not that’s routing you to a cost level that makes use of cleaner power or places which have pet-friendly services, that’s one thing that we hope to convey to the charging expertise.”

What’s extra, Honda needs that charging expertise to be as simple and ubiquitous as gasoline is right now. “We consider we are able to rival Supercharger Community by the top of this decade,” continues Joseph. “We’re very assured,” he stated, doubling down, whereas he defined that Honda would ship the 0 Sequence fashions with J3400/NACS (learn: Tesla) type connectors.

Plug and cost, AI-driven routing and charging recommendations and journey navigation, and extra ASIMO-driven enhancements to the EV possession expertise had been talked about – “by the center of subsequent decade, BEVs may very well be the biggest supply of saved power to assist clean out the so-called ‘duck curve’ of the present power grid. We predict V2G will assist clean that out, and allow prospects’ power prices to be rather more predictable.”

Electrek’s Take

Up shut, Honda’s upcoming 0 Sequence SUV appears a lot nearer to production-spec than its Saloon sibling – and that is sensible. In North America and Europe, these automobiles’ major markets, 5 passenger crossovers are the meatiest a part of the mainstream market, and the place any economies of scale are prone to happen.

And that’s nice. Honda isn’t saying “that is it,” they’re saying they’re going to construct one thing like this. The small print might change, the bumpers might develop a bit and the wheels might shrink a bit and the mirrors will certainly develop an entire lot, however in case you like the way in which these prototypes look, you’ll in all probability just like the manufacturing model.

The actual information right here, then, isn’t the automobiles. Sure, they’re great-looking machines, they usually enhance (I feel) on the themes first proven in 2024. As a substitute, the information is that Honda is taking their prospects’ whole possession expertise critically – they usually’re utilizing AI in a method that guarantees to cater to your particular person wants, not essentially market to your particular person tastes.

It would do this, too, after all. However not simply that.

We’ll have extra Honda and CES2025 information all through the week. For now, although, check out among the sneak peek images we took final night time and tell us what you consider the up to date Honda 0 Sequence EVs within the feedback part.

2026 Honda 0 Sequence gallery

SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda, Electrek.