Honda, a brand that’s associated with reliability and dependability, has had a rough relationship with electric cars. Its most recent foray into American-market EVs involved a partnership with General Motors, which resulted in the Honda Prologue and the Acura ZDX crossovers.
The Prologue has had decent success so far, but the ZDX bowed out when EV tax credits vanished. Yet Honda wants more—and wants to do things its way. So it’s investing billions of dollars into a brand-new, bespoke electric architecture that will underpin several new EVs by the end of the decade. It’s called the 0 Series, and it may be the most important new vehicle platform of Honda’s modern era.
One of the first cars to wear the 0 Series badge is simply called the Saloon. It’s a futuristic, razor-like sedan proudly positioned as the brand’s flagship, which will take on some of the most high-tech EVs out there.
So let’s see what Honda has in store.
Photo by: InsideEVs
Honda 0 Series: An All-New Platform
The Saloon, which debuted as a concept car in 2024, will ride on Honda’s new in-house platform. It’s a vertically integrated architecture that the automaker can have full control over, allowing it to make quick changes to the hardware and patch software issues with over-the-air updates without having to wait on third-party suppliers and developers.
Honda has gone to great lengths to integrate light materials into the cars’ construction, and is betting big on megacasting technology and a new, AI-enabled software suite that can integrate lidar sensors and ultimately offer Level 3 “eyes-off” driving capabilities.
Honda’s 0 Series platform revolves around three key words: Thin, Light and Wise.
Photo by: Honda
The platform itself can accept battery packs rated at 800 volts, which enables them to charge faster than more mainstream 400-volt alternatives, as we have seen with 800-volt cars like the Kia EV9 and Porsche Macan. Honda has not yet offered official specifications for charging power and charging session times, but it’s aiming for a 15% to 80% top-up in 15 minutes or less.
It’s also worth noting that some 0 Series-based models could get a 400-volt battery system to keep costs down, but that’s unlikely to happen with the flagship Saloon.
Honda said that it would offer two versions of its e-axle motor: one with 241 horsepower (180 kilowatts), and the other with 67 hp (50 kW). In other words, the most powerful version of the 0 Series Saloon would have a total of 482 hp, which is not record-breaking by any stretch of the imagination. But if Honda manages to keep the weight down as it promises, it should be enough for any driving scenario.
Honda 0 Series Saloon: Design
There’s no way around this: the Honda 0 Series Saloon is a head-turner. The four-door EV is low to the ground, thanks to the slim battery pack nestled inside the floor, and looks like something out of a futuristic cartoon.
It’s a razor-shaped sedan that’s bound to get everybody’s attention once it hits the streets, but there’s no guarantee that Honda will stay true to the concept’s looks once the production version rolls off the assembly line.
Photo by: InsideEVs
The original show car did go through some modifications for its second public appearance, with the huge double doors being replaced with a set of more conventional four doors. Inside, everything screams “future,” from the profiled seats to the full-width screen and massive panoramic roof.
Asimo OS, a brand-new operating system that gives a nod to the cool and quirky Honda humanoid robot, powers it all. That too is a big deal. It lays the groundwork for future software-defined vehicles at Honda, future connected cars, autonomous driving, over-the-air updates and more. Like its Japanese rival Toyota, Honda is behind new players like Rivian, Tesla and the Chinese automakers at software, and Asimo OS represents the brand’s attempts to hit back.
Honda 0 Series Saloon: Availability
The Honda 0 Series Saloon was initially scheduled to go into production in Ohio this year, as the first model based on the 0 Series platform. However, after several setbacks, including the cancellation of the $7,500 federal tax credit, Honda has decided to postpone the launch of the 0 Series Saloon to 2027.
Gallery: Honda 0 Series Saloon
The company is still moving forward with its 0 Series-based models, but the first models to roll off the assembly line this year will be the Honda 0 Series SUV and Acura RSX crossovers. The Japanese automaker also cut its investment plans for new EVs, going from $69 billion to roughly $48 billion until 2030.
Honda 0 Series Saloon: Price
Although Honda has not publicized a figure yet, the 0 Series Saloon is widely expected to start around $50,000. That doesn’t make it a cheap new EV, but it does put it around the average newcar price in the U.S. If it can deliver on these specs, then Honda fans are getting a lot of car for the money.
But given the current softening of EV demand in the U.S., and the American market largely souring on sedans in recent years, the delay to 2027 makes sense—especially if Honda ends up leading with the 0 Series SUV. Either way, the 0 Series platform should be the start of something big from this manufacturer. Let’s hope it finds a way to production, and wins hearts and minds with EV fans and newcomers everywhere.
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