Yesterday, Honda released shadowy teaser photos of a pair of prototype electric vehicles (EVs) to show its future design direction.
Honda builds one EV today. It is, oddly, only partly a Honda.
The Honda Prologue is a conventional-looking midsize electric SUV built on General Motors’ EV platform. Honda designers developed its body and cabin, and Honda engineers tuned its mechanical parts. However, the battery, motors, suspension, and steering components are all designed by GM and shared with GM electric SUVs like the Chevy Blazer EV and Equinox EV.
Honda plans its own electric cars, designed and built entirely by Honda, under the new Honda 0 Series moniker.
The public and KBB will first see two 0 series prototypes at next month’s CES electronics show in Las Vegas. Yesterday’s photos hint at what they’ll look like.
These May Not Be Production Cars
Notably, these may not be production cars. Honda calls them “prototypes.”
That indicates they are concept cars that will be toned down to look more conventional if they see production.
One looks mainly identical to a concept Honda unveiled in January, called the 0 Saloon. Saloon is a word Europeans use much the way Americans use the word sedan. They don’t have cowboy movies there.
It’s a low-slung wedge more at home in a sci-fi movie than a 7-11 parking lot.
The other has a more conventional SUV shape, with a wide U-shaped rear light bar as its most prominent feature.
The pair may work to show off future technologies rather than hint at cars that will soon be for sale to consumers. Honda says the prototypes will debut “a new proprietary vehicle operating system” and automated driving technology destined for future 0 Series models.
We’ll bring more info from CES in a few weeks.
