Honda NSX set to return as halo in radical new EV line-up

The Honda NSX is tipped to instrumentality with electrical powerfulness successful the coming years arsenic portion of the Japanese firm’s radical caller EV line-up.

Following the unveiling of the Saloon concept, which volition go the archetypal car successful the new 0 Series line-up, institution CEO Toshihiro Mibe revealed that Honda is already “researching sports cars successful the EV era” and helium adjacent went truthful acold arsenic to corroborate that “at the R&D centre, we person a sports car”.

He stopped abbreviated of confirming immoderate details of what the accumulation mentation of Honda’s archetypal electrical sports car would look similar but said enactment is “steadily proceeding” connected its development.

However it is positioned, the sports car is acceptable to service arsenic a halo for the 0 Series scope of electric cars. These models volition deed the marketplace from 2026 with a raft of method innovations aimed astatine maximising interior space, reducing artillery value and improving ratio – each portion promoting the ‘joy of driving’ with a absorption connected operator engagement.

As portion of this line-up, the sports car volition instrumentality its pb from the 0 Series conception revealed astatine CES earlier this period successful adopting a low-slung, cab-forward illustration and a minimalist, driver-focused cockpit that aims to eradicate distractions.

The artillery volition beryllium importantly slimmer than those fitted to Honda’s existent EVs and propulsion volition travel courtesy of e-axle thrust units, which comprise the motors, inverters and gearboxes successful 1 compact portion – each successful the sanction of optimising interior space.

Importantly, said Mibe, a sporting EV volition “have a wholly antithetic taste” from immoderate show car Honda has launched before, hinting that a halfway constituent of the R&D programme is investigating however specified a car tin person a chiseled quality and beryllium genuinely engaging to drive.

As portion of that process, Honda is “doing a bully analysis” of the existent electrical sports car market, helium said, though helium did not sanction immoderate rival cars.

Mibe’s revelation follows akin comments from Akio Toyoda, president of rival marque Toyota, who confirmed past twelvemonth that his institution had begun investigating its ain electrical sports car prototype. Like Mibe, helium declined to springiness immoderate method details, but said: “The archetypal precedence of making these kinds of cars is that they request to beryllium amusive to drive, nary substance what powertrain they use.”

Just arsenic Toyoda is simply a vocal exponent of Toyota’s continued concern successful show cars, truthful excessively is Mibe a driving unit down bringing a Honda sporting EV to fruition. “We person not decided connected wide accumulation oregon timing,” helium said, “but, personally, I would similar to marque it happen.”

It was Mibe who confirmed, mode backmost successful 2011 erstwhile helium was Honda’s R&D boss, plans to revive the NSX for a 3rd procreation with an electrified powertrain, telling Autocar past that helium believed “electric oregon hybrid vehicles tin beryllium amusive arsenic good arsenic economical”.

More recently, helium doubled down connected this conception astatine the uncover of the caller Prelude coupé concept. He called the sporty hybrid a showcase of “Honda’s unalterable sports mindset” and pointed to the firm’s continued engagement successful Formula 1 arsenic a motion that it remains committed to performance.

Notably, Honda’s US-market premium marque Acura has already previewed its ain imaginativeness of an electrical supercar, with aboriginal images hinting astatine an aggressive, cab-forward silhouette that mimics the mid-engined layout of the NSX. It has not, however, confirmed a day for the afloat unveiling, and nor has Honda itself linked itself to the project.