Honda 0 Series: prototype drive and new technical details

The production version of the Honda 0 Series Saloon will offer around 482bhp and a range of more than 300 miles when it arrives in 2026 – and Autocar has had a first taste of its all-new electric powertrain.

The 0 Series Saloon concept, shown at CES in January and described as being close to production ready, previewed the first of seven planned 0 Series models that will use a new bespoke EV platform developed from a clean sheet of paper. Honda will reveral a model that will be “the embodiment” of the technologies at CES next year.

The Japanese manufacturer has now revealed early technical details at a special preview event, which included the chance to drive an Accord test mule fitted with a development version of the new powertrain and sample some of the new technology and features that are being developed.

Honda 0 Series: powertrain, chassis and technology
The 0 Series Saloon will be offered with both single- and dual-motor powertrains, featuring newly developed compact e-axles that Honda claims can be mounted lower in the car, freeing up space and allowing for a smaller frontal area to improve aerodynamic efficiency.

The reduced size of the e-axle motors has been achieved in part by repositioning the inverter to make the units shorter. At least initially, 0 Series models will feature two different e-axle units in three different combinations.

Entry-level models will feature a 241bhp motor on the rear axle and offer rear-wheel drive. There will also be two dual-motor, four-wheel-drive versions. The top-end models will feature the same motor on the front axle, giving a system output of 482bhp (although Honda has yet to confirm if this will be the maximum output).

There will also be a 4WD version that mates the 241bhp rear motor with a smaller 67bhp unit on the front axle. That smaller e-axle will be shared with Honda’s next-generation hybrid models.

The battery pack will fit under the floor as in other EVs, although Honda said the focus is on making it as thin as possible, claiming it's around 8mm thinner than EV batteries from rival firms.

As a result, Honda says the platform allows for the 0 Series Saloon to be less than 1400mm in height while offering more interior space than current EVs.

Key to the thinner battery design will be the use of a new mega-casting tool to produce the battery pack case in three parts, rather than around 60 separate pieces previously. Casting it in three sections rather than a single unit will allow two different sizes of battery pack (for medium- and large-size models) to be produced on the same production line.

While mega-casting will initially be used only for the battery casing, Honda is aiming to eventually use it to produce the front and rear assemblies of the car as single pieces. That will likely be introduced when a planned new EV-only assembly plant in Canada is opened near the end of the decade.

While Honda has yet to give full details, the 0 Series Saloon and other medium-size models will feature a battery using nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry with a capacity of between 80kWh and 90kWh, giving an estimated range of more than 300 miles.

Meanwhile, large models will feature a pack offering around 100kWh. It's unclear if different battery options will be offered on each model.

As well as extensive use of mega-casting, Honda will use a number of new production techniques designed to increase the new platform’s rigidity while reducing weight. That includes expanded use of a system called '3D friction stir welding', which can join metals without melting them, along with 'constant DC chopping' (CDC) spot welding, which controls the heat used to weld joints better. The use of both manufacturing techniques is claimed to result in greater rigidity and decreased deformation.

In addition, Honda said it has developed the body structure of the 0 Series platform to disperse the impact of a collision to the side of the structure, which reduces the space at the front and rear required for protection for the battery.

Overall, Honda claims the 0 Series Saloon will weigh around 100kg less than a current EV of its size, which is also key to a promise to offer an enjoyable driving experience.

It will feature a steer-by-wire throttle, suggesting that the yoke offered on the concept car could reach production. The control for the system will be integrated with those for the suspension, brakes and regen system to aid handling.

The 0 Series Saloon will feature active aerodynamics that can channel air underneath through sculpted bodywork, adding up to six miles of range, as well as creating downforce.

3D gyro sensors, developed for Honda’s humanoid robots, will be used to automatically stabilise the car.

Notably, the lightweight aluminium frame has actually been designed to flex when cornering at speeds, pushing load onto the outside of the wheels to improve cornering balance.

All 0 Series models will be software-defined vehicles, able to accept over-the-air software updates to gain new features or upgrades.

They will be designed to offer up to level-three (‘eyes-off’) autonomy in certain situations, thanks to a range of camera, radar and lidar sensors. 

Honda has indicated that the 0 Series Saloon will be joined in 2026 by mid-size and entry-level SUVs, then a large SUV the following year. A compact SUV, a small SUV and a smaller saloon are then due by 2030.

Production of the 0 Series models will initially begin at Honda’s plant in Ohio, the US, which will be adapted so that ICE and EV cars can be made on the same line. That will be achieved by the use of a new flex cell production system, which makes greater use of decentralised production stations with chassis and parts moved via autonomous robots. This means Honda will be able to constantly adapt ICE and EV output based on demand.

A new plant dedicated to EV production, along with a battery plant, will be built in Ontario, Canada by 2028.

First drive: sampling the 0 Series powertrain and technology
The first chance to sample the new technology Honda has developed for its 0 Series models not in the bold body of the Saloon concept but in a 2024 Accord saloon, which alongside a converted CR-V is one of two prototype mules the firm has shown in public.

Because this was a test hack, we couldn’t experience many of Honda’s claims about the new platform and chassis technology, such as experiencing the flexing chassis, the packaging benefits or the weight reduction push. But it was a chance to sample the new powertrain some two years before the production version of the 0 Series Saloon is due to go on sale.

Our brief run came with a few laps of a short course laid out on the test track at Honda’s R&D base in Tochigi, Japan, with the route featuring a reasonably long straight, a tight chicane and a short, winding hill section. 

While it wasn’t long enough to gain true driving impressions, what the outing did suggest is how well refined the new powertrain is at this stage in the development cycle. The engineer accompanying us indicated that this was the most powerful dual-motor system, and it certainly felt well-sorted, with predictably good levels of response, as you’d expect from an electric car.

It was quick and quiet to accelerate on the straight, and there was always torque instantly available coming out of corners. Notably, we could feel the regen kick in when we lifted off, and if we further applied the brakes, the two systems felt well-integrated, which isn’t always the case with EVs.

Certainly, even at this stage, it felt nimbler, lighter and more responsive than, say, the disappointing Honda e:Ny1.

But given that much of the promise about the 0 Series centres on in-car technology and space, any real judgement will have to wait.

Separately at the event, we did get to sample some of the digital technology that Honda is working on for the 0 Series.

Most notably, this included a Honda E that had been converted to run a new software system that allowed it to emulate classic Honda models from the past. 

The touchscreen allowed us to select from a number of classic Honda performance cars, including a Civic Type R and an NSX Type R. The dashboard then switched to a digital recreation of the dials in the car selected, with a surprisingly authentic throttle noise added in matching each of the machines. 

Unlike the system in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, there was no synthetic gearing, and this was purely for entertainment: you could even select the sounds and dash from the Honda Jet.

Notably, the options includes a number of ‘locked’ models, including a Honda Formula 1 car, suggesting that new models could be offered as updates for download.

Another technology we had the chance to sample was a new facial recognition system that could recognise owners as they approach the car and react differently in certain situations. For example. if you approach alone, it will open the front door for you, but approach with a child in a pushchair and it will open the rear seat, then the boot and finally the driver's door as it detects you approach each.

Honda is also developing a virtual ride-along system that will allow people to use an augmented-reality headset to see the view out of a 360deg camera mounted inside the car.