Honda Debuts Hybrids and EV's At Tokyo Auto Show

Big doings from the Honda Motor Company. We only wish that more of these concepts were destined for production.

The CR-Z Concept 2009. Click to enlarge.

Honda will reveal the CR-Z Concept 2009, the most recent prototype of a compact sports car using Honda’s IMA technology, at October’s Tokyo Motor Show. Honda introduced the first version of the CR-Z concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007. When the production version goes on sale in 2010, it will be the first series-production sports hybrid car from a major OEM, and the first gasoline-electric vehicle to employ a 6-speed manual transmission.

Honda will also reveal two more concepts at the show. The EV-N is a small, 4-seater battery electric vehicle, inspired by the N360, Honda’s 360cc micro car launched in the 1960s. It features solar panels in the roof, which could be used to help to charge the on-board battery. The EV-N is purely a design study and there are no plans for production.

The EV-N. Click to enlarge.

The show will also mark the debut of the Skydeck concept, a 6-seater hybrid MPV. This is still a design study, but Honda is positioning it as an example of how the IMA technology can be placed in a range of different cars for different needs.

To give the Skydeck the practicality of a conventional MPV, many of the hybrid system components—including the high power battery—are housed in the car’s center tunnel (rather than behind the rear seats or under the floor, as with previous production hybrids). This allows for greater cabin space, and the room for three rows of two seats. It also gives a lower center of gravity.

The SKYDECK. Click to enlarge.

A special display zone named “HELLO!” (for Honda Electric mobility Loop) will feature a display of electricity-based products, including products that supply electricity, vehicles that run on electricity and products with innovative electronic technologies. As well as the EV-N, this area will display FCX CLARITY, a fuel cell electric vehicle that runs on the electricity it produces from hydrogen; a new EV-Cub electric motorcycle; the new U3-X, a one wheel personal mobility device that uses balance control technology developed through the ASIMO robot project (earlier post); and LOOP, a portable communication tool that allows people and mobility devices to communicate with each other.

The EVE-neo. Click to enlarge.

Honda’s motorcycle display will share the same stand area as four-wheeler, with features from larger-displacement sports bikes to compact commuter models powered by electricity. Advanced models that address environmental elements include the PCX, an idle stop function-equipped global scooter; and the EVE-neo, an electric scooter. The new Dual Clutch Transmission technology for larger-displacement and sportier bikes will also be showcased.

Source: Green Car Congress