Japanese legacy automaker Honda has just introduced two new radical-looking electric vehicle concepts under the upcoming “0 Series” at CES 2024 in Las Vegas on January 10, along with a new “H” logo.
New H logo for the upcoming 0 Series
Honda officially disclosed that its new lineup of electric vehicles will have a different “H” logo during the event in Las Vegas. As part of this new electrification strategy, the Japanese automaker aims to launch a new series referred to as “0” as early as 2026.
According to Honda, the 0 Series has three core principles: Thin, Light, and Wise.
Excitingly, Honda’s 0 Series currently includes two electric car concepts, namely “Saoon” and “Space Hub.”
| Thin | Light | Wise |
| Augmenting design potential, including styling with a low vehicle height, and realizing excellent aerodynamic performance by utilizing a “thin” dedicated EV platform to create a low floor height. | Realizing sporty driving and electricity efficiency performance that defy the established beliefs people have about EVs through Honda original technologies created by going back to the starting point of Honda as an automaker. | Realizing Honda original software-defined mobility products by leveraging the knowledge Honda has amassed to date and by making cars wiser through the advancement of intelligent technologies. |
“Saloon” and “Space-Hub”
Interestingly, the Saloon and Space-Hub electric vehicle concepts resemble futuristic versions of the Odyssey and Accord, as observed by Forbes.
Both designs have a sleek, one-box shape that appears to cut through the air effortlessly.
The Saloon is a sedan-like vehicle that sports a rectangular opening with three slim LED light strips and a backlit revised H logo. The car concept’s rear end features the same concave look with a sloping-up underbody and red perimeter lights. Honda refers to it as the 0 Series’ flagship concept.
It rides on Honda’s dedicated platform and features its “man maximum/machine minimum (M/M) design language, which is low, wide, and spacious. Other features include steer-by-wire and motion control management systems, as well as robotic posture control that adjusts the driver throughout various driving situations so they can “realize the ‘joy of driving’ in the EV era.”
Honda noted that the 0 Series’ first passenger EV model will be based on the Saloon concept.
On the other hand, the Space-Hub features some of the designs and integrates them into a taller, van-like model. The second and third rows of seats wrap around the cabin with all passengers facing inward, reminiscent of the Canoo lifestyle vehicle. It has a roomy interior, seven seats, and an airy panoramic glass roof.
“The mobility we dream of is not an extension of the trend of ‘thick, heavy, but smart’ EVs. We will create a completely new value from zero based on thin, light and wise as the foundation for our new Honda 0 EV series to further advance the joy and freedom of mobility to the next level.”
Toshihiro Mibe, Global CEO of Honda
However, Honda has not yet mentioned anything about advancing the Space-Hub concept into a production EV.
Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX to hit the North American market
Apart from the 0 Series models, Honda will also launch its first dedicated all-electric vehicles in North America, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX.
However, these two crossovers are only bridge models manufactured by General Motors using its own Ultium platform. In that sense, Honda’s first self-produced BEVs for North America will not arrive until around 2026.
Honda expects its new electrification strategy to aid its efforts in having all-electric and fuel-cell vehicles account for 100% of its new vehicle sales by 2040. Excitingly, the Japanese automaker will officially release the first models of the new 0 Series by 2026 in the global market, starting in North America.
