Radical Honda concept hints at total EV rethink

Teaser released by Honda of CES concept, brightened by Autocar, reveals complete shift in design

Official image previews new series of electric cars to be revealed at Consumer Electronics Show in US

Honda will unveil a new global series of electric cars at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas on 9 January 2024.

Scant detail is currently known about the forms these new EVs will take, but a teaser image published by the firm shows the low-set, streamlined front end of one.

It represents a dramatic shift from the Japanese brand’s existing cars, with flat, uncomplicated surfaces, a chin spoiler and flush light bars. 

The wheel picture features flat, geometric styling, similar to the drag-reducing designs used on the new Peugeot e-3008 and Renault Scenic E-Tech.

Alongside the announcement, Honda reiterated its goal to become an electric-only brand by 2040 and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Much of the brand’s recent work has concerned the latter target, exploring new materials and construction methods.

The Honda Sustaina-C concept shown at the Tokyo motor show in October represented the latest development on this front, with body panels made entirely from recycled acrylic resin.

The material – which can be recycled and reused after the theoretical lifespan of the Sustaina-C – can also be unpainted, further reducing CO2 emissions.

The same unpainted acrylic resin was used for the CI-MEV, a two-seat quadricycle-style pod for those in areas with limited public transport. 

The ambition is for such cars to establish a circular economy – to build new cars without producing new materials, instead recovering them from the existing car parc.