Honda 0 Series is getting closer to reality as the Japanese automaker confirmed at CES 2025 that the new EV family will go into production next year. For some, this announcement may seem like a déjà vu as the vehicles shown during today’s media event look identical to those that Honda brought to last year’s CES.
Unlike the vehicles for CES 2024 which were just concept models, this time around Honda has brought prototype units though. They don’t seem production-ready yet but nevertheless, these Honda 0 prototypes generally offer a glimpse at Honda’s future path towards electrification.
Honda 0 SUV and Saloon to lead the new series
The rollout of the Honda 0 Series will begin with the Honda 0 SUV. The mid-size electric SUV is based on the Space-Hub concept model that the company revealed at CES 2024.
Just like the Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela 1, the new Honda 0 SUV will also be built in Ohio and will be launched in North America within the first half of 2026. The new EV will also be heading to Japan and Europe although the release timeline is still under wraps.
The company also plans to release the Honda 0 Saloon in the North American market in late 2026. Similar to the two EVs that were mentioned earlier, Honda’s plant in Ohio will be responsible for the production of the Honda 0 Saloon.
On a related note, Honda will be releasing an EV in Malaysia this year but not from the 0 Series family though. It will come in the form of Honda e:N1
Honda 0 Series will feature Asimo OS, Level 3 autonomous driving
Interestingly enough, Honda choose not to talk about specs during the unveiling of 0 SUV and Saloon prototypes at CES. Hence, the majority of details regarding the capabilities of these upcoming Honda EVs are still missing including their battery capacities, range, charging, performance, or even indicative pricing.
Instead, the company focuses more on selected technologies that will be equipped with the 0 Series EVs. Even then, the on-stage presentation mainly involved top-level information and conceptual videos.
For one, the 0 Series EVs will be running on an all-new operating system developed in-house by Honda called the Asimo OS. Yes, the name of the operating system was indeed derived from the automaker’s iconic Asimo humanoid robot that not only serves as its R&D project but also acts as its global ambassador to promote science and technology.
Autonomous technology is one of the core technology within the Asimo robot and Honda is trying to link that relation to the Asimo OS. This is because the new Honda 0 Series EVs will come with Level 3 autonomous driving capability which is using several AI models developed by Honda and Helm.ai.
The Asimo OS will also be managing various electronic control units within the EVs including the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and infotainment system. The operating system will also come with over-the-air (OTA) update capability to allow Honda to deploy software fixes and new features to the 0 Series models even after they roll off from the showroom floor.
Meanwhile, Honda is also collaborating with Renesas to develop a system-on-chip for Honda 0 Series EVs. Acting as the heart of the electronic architecture within these EVs, the new chiplet-based SoC will be leveraging on the Renesas’ R-Car X5H hardware platform alongside a custom AI accelerator and is expected to deliver 2,000 TOPS AI processing performance alongside a power efficiency of 20 TOPS/W.
In case you are wondering if we will ever see Honda officially release an EV in Malaysia, the good thing is that you don’t have to wait for 0 Series EVs or Afeela 1 to make their way here. This is because the Honda e:N 1 will be launched in our market later this year, so stay tuned for more updates.
