Honda premiered its next salvo in the battery-electric vehicle war at the 2025 CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas. Called the "0 Series," the SUV and sedan are prototypes though both are confirmed for production in North America first and globally later.
The models will be built at the company's EV Hub in Ohio and will offer some form of autonomous driving. Honda says the vehicles will "advance its global leadership of Level 3 (eyes off) automated driving. Honda's Sensing Elite feature in Japan is qualified for eyes-off driving in certain areas.
The midsize electric SUV will be the first to enter production using the company's new EV underpinnings. The Honda 0 SUV builds on last year's Space-Hub concept at the same Las Vegas show and features the company's new "thin, light and wise" development ethos.
The wedge-shaped Honda 0 Saloon (saloon is a synonym for sedan) will be the flagship model for the 0 brand and will use its new operating system to customize the driving experience for the user.
The new vehicles will come with Honda's ASIMO operating system, named after the cute, humanoid robot it introduced at CES more than 20 years ago. Honda says it is combining those robotics technologies with advanced intelligence technologies for the Honda 0 Series including its driver assistance and infotainment systems. To improve its precision on the road Honda's AI technology will use behavior models of experienced drivers,
As with many connected vehicles, those with ASIMO will get over-the-air updates regularly to fix problems and personalize ownership to the driver.
Why It Matters
These will be the first modern EVs (not counting its first electric vehicle from the 1990s or the earlier Fit EV hatchback) completely developed by Honda. Its current Prologue SUV and Acura's ZDX were both created with the help of GM's Ultium EV platform, and selling well.
The company has long faced criticism that it has not been moving quick enough on the battery-electric vehicle front. The 0 models are meant to address that.
What To Know
Honda has taken longer than many automakers to commit to EVs, though the Japanese brand has always stood on its promise to go completely carbon neutral by 2050 by cleaning up its supply chains, offering fuel cell vehicles in addition to gasoline and electric. The company aims to sell only zero-emission vehicles in North America and other major markets by 2040. This includes battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles
What's Next
The Honda 0 SUV is scheduled to go on sale in early 2026 before heading to global markets. The Honda 0 Saloon goes on sale late in 2026. Global sales will again follow the American release.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is a Newsweek Autos managing editor based in Detroit. His focus is reporting on the auto industry. He has covered ... Read more