Posted on 01/09/2024 9:22:11 PM PST by Red Badger
Honda is launching a new series of EVs called the "0 Series" with two concepts: a van-like vehicle called the Space-Hub and a sleeker but still funky family car called the Saloon. "Saloon" may be European for sedan but instead of a traditional three-box car, Honda's Saloon is a big, wedge-shaped thing. Debuting at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, don't think it's just another one of those concepts that'll never see a real street because Honda has confirmed that the Saloon will become a production model in North America in 2026.
Intended as the flagship of the 0 Series, the Saloon sits on a dedicated EV platform. Designed to be spacious, low, and wide, it uses sustainable materials throughout, an interior that continues Honda's tradition of ease of use, and new steer-by-wire and "motion control management" systems. The seats feature posture control that uses learnings from Honda's experience in robotics while aero is said to use learnings from the company's racing expertise, including Formula 1.
The Space-Hub, on the other hand, is more utilitarian, aiming to be a sort of living room on wheels—the "hub" in its name alludes to a social hub, a place for people to gather. Its ethos is, per Honda, to "augment people's daily lives."
As for the 0 Series of EVs as a whole, the "0" refers to Honda's aim to build EVs "based on thin, light, and wise" in contrast to the big and heavy vibe that characterizes most existing EVs. This philosophy is said to use a dedicated "thin" EV platform that allows for a low floor and better aero. Honda is even trotting out a new frameless, minimalist H logo that visually drives this vibe home to be used on electrified Hondas in the future.
EVs in the 0 Series will be created using a new design and engineering approach from both previous Honda products and other, competing EVs. Technical details are scant for now, but Honda says vehicles will use high-density batteries designed to minimize long-term degradation. Specifically, the company is aiming to minimize battery capacity degradation to less than 10% after 10 years of use. At the same time, charging should be quick, with Honda claiming 15 to 80% fast charging on late-2020s production models that'll be 10 to 15 minutes quicker than it typically takes today.
The Honda Saloon, top left, and Space-Hub concepts on the CES show floor. Chris Tsui Naturally, 0 Series EVs will be powered by electric motors on each axle that maximize power and efficiency while being lightweight. As for other details that should make you go "duh," the cars will feature next-gen ADAS functions as well as an onboard operating system that uses AI to learn occupants' habits.
Other details such as pricing, range, and final design (we'll be damned if those touchscreen seatbacks actually become a reality) remain a mystery, but given the Saloon's 2026 release date, it likely won't be long before we start learning more about the future of electric Hondas.
You are grid tied?
The power company is legislated to pay you for power?
Are they triple wrapping the battery with asbestos....
It would sell well to idiots who think that a “green” vehicle should be horrendously ugly, so everyone around them instantly understands that they are doing their part to save the planet.
“The possibility that onlookers might find my conveyance unattractive simply doesn’t factor into my decision.”
Nope. But I have to see it every day. Given a choice, I’m not spending my money on something I think is ugly
Star Wars? Nah … more like Robo Cop or Judge Dred type stuff.
The name ‘Saloon’ seems to me to be on the right track. It’s more what you’d find on the floor of an Old West Saloon, though - the Spittoon.
A lot of concept cars are good looking, thought that van is butt ugly. We never get them in real life though.
He gave you the answer: the grid - the power you and I pay for.
Seriously?!
Where would they be mounted? On the car's roof? Would it function like a perpetual motion machine?
Is this your idea? Or has any automobile manufacturer seriously proposed the use of shoe-box sized wind turbines to power electric (hybrid) vehicles?
Regards,
Yeah, I was gonna say...send it straight to the museum.
***It’s ugly***
Yes. But, in my humble opinion, most of the new cars these days lack beauty. They just look like poorly designed big hunks of black plastic.
Flame away!
They’re trippin’
You beat me to it. 😉
1) supply power to the electrical panels, if there's excess solar power,
2) charge the batteries, if the batteries are charged at least 70% (enough to power the home through the night),
3) power an intermittent circuit for charging the EV with excess power, if there's still excess solar coming in keep charging the batteries.
4) If the batteries are fully charged and there's still more solar coming in than my electrical panels need, sell power to the grid.
If we come home in the EV with more than enough charge for the next day, we plug the EV into an intermittently powered charging circuit. My wife asks for at least 120 miles range for most daily uses. So if the EV has less than 120 miles charge we plug it into the constantly powered circuit (think of that circuit as always on, but not always free). If we come home with more than 120 miles range we plug it into the intermittently powered circuit (not always on, but when it's on it's always free power).
Last year we drove the EV 26K miles, with 16K of those miles charged at home (over 1,300 miles charged at home per month). Yet our total power bills last year was $890 ($74/month). That's for our all-electric home. That's with just recently started selling power to the grid this past fall (thus I sold very little power to the grid).
In year 2024 I expect selling power to the grid to lower the power bills by $15 month on average. I count it as gravy on the top, not a critical feature for whether or not it's worth going solar. That's because state or federal regulations can change (my state of Alabama never had net metering, and the states that did have it are getting away from it). If regulations change in the future to where it's not worth putting power onto the grid, I'll change a few settings on my inverters and quit selling power to the grid. I'll go back to being a normal power customer like everybody else except I'll pull a lot less power from the grid (which is what my relationship with the power company was the first 2 years I had solar).
If I wasn't a software engineer with experience mainly on the backend data processing, my throughput would probably be about 70% of my power free. But because my inverters can export telemetry in 5-minute candles I was able to analyze the throughput to see which parts should be strengthened when I did my upgrade after owning half the system of solar for a year to make sure it would do as expected. I made sure my upgrade was in the points that needed more optimization to take it to 83% average across the year. The point is, you don't have to be a data nerd to get 70% self-reliance on energy if you live in a climate like mine.
When Toyota made their hybrids look like their internal combustion cars instead of their typical Prius look, the sales dropped off significantly.
It turns out that a disproportionate number of people were buying them only to virtue-whine.
...that or to advertise their sexual preferences.
LOL! I believe it!
Yes, yes. That’s why I don’t care about my ugly old ICE vehicles that are paid off and run just fine. At one point however, that ugly ICE vehicle did look pretty good.
Just...
Yuck.
Electric car concept. If gov’t has to force you to buy at very high prices then there is no market.
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