Like most automakers, Honda is looking for ways to electrify its lineup while still keeping the unique driving characteristics the Japanese company is known for. This is no simple task, especially for performance vehicles like the Honda Civic Type R — cars that need to feel a certain way and be fun, above all else.
Toshihiro Akiwa, head of Honda’s electric vehicle development center, spoke with British magazine Auto Express at CES in Las Vegas during the reveal of its latest 0 Series prototypes about what goes into making a fun-to-drive Honda EV. It’s not something that is easy to do, I’ll tell you that much.
“A battery and motor have different characteristics so we can’t come up with something exactly the same as before,” said Akiwa. “As an EV, how can we provide the joy of driving? We haven’t given up of course, but it’s not just about power, it’s about the sound, vibration, acceleration and the human experience. These are the joys of driving.”
These 0 Series cars, a large sedan and a midsize crossover, are the first two in a series of seven planned EVs that are supposed to be built on this platform. Right now, there’s no word on performance variants for any of these cars that would fit into the same category as the current ICE Civic Type R, Auto Express reports. As it stands right now, the dual electric motors in these cars can put out up to around 480 horsepower.
That is, by far, more power than any current Honda makes. The most powerful car the automaker currently sells is the 315-hp CTR. Of course, there are a few ICE-powered Type S Acuras that can produce 355 horsepower, but that’s still a far cry from 480. The ZDX Type S, which is on the General Motors Ultium platform, makes 499 horsepower, for reference.
Anyway, power isn’t the only way to have fun in a car, and it’s certainly not the best way to have fun in a performance-oriented Honda, cars that are known mostly for their fantastic handling and engagement. If you want to make a good Honda performance car, it better be fun, even if it doesn’t have world-beating power numbers. Time will tell if the automaker will be able to pull something off similar to what Hyundai has done with the Ioniq 5 N and Dodge has done with the Charger Daytona Scat Pack.
