These Futuristic Hondas Could Change Your Mind About Electric Vehicles

Move over Tesla, and step aside Li Auto, Rivian, Lucid, and Ford. There’s a new EV in town, and they’re not taking any prisoners. 

Honda’s new EV models will make your heart skip a beat. Yes, Honda’s Prologue EV should be rolling out shortly, but these new models, Whoa! Honda’s new concept cars, the Space-Hub and Saloon, are something else entirely. Honda revealed these concept cars during CES, making you rethink what a car should look like.

Honda is re-thinking the electric vehicle

Honda’s first EVs are the Acura ZDX and the Prologue. Both vehicles look like any conventional SUV on the market. While they’re fully electric vehicles, both offer driver assistance, not autonomous driving.

Looks are just one of the differences between Honda’s first EV iteration and these new concept cars. Not only do they appear like nothing you’ve seen before outside a movie, but their guts and how they work are entirely different, too.

These new cars are part of Honda’s new O Series, encompassing the brand’s design theory of “thin, light, and wise.”

The new BEVs are created with lighter materials, lower vehicle height, and improved aerodynamics. Created with Honda’s proprietary software and tech and integrating AI into the system, these concept cars study how the driver uses the vehicle and will make suggestions on everything from music to routes. 

Both cars are equipped with conditional automated driving, but is that enough to make you feel like you're avoiding wasting money on unnecessary add-ons?

The Space-Hub

Think of any science fiction movie set in the 33rd century, and this is what the concept car Space-Hub looks like. This is the perfect vehicle for people who want to play astronaut. Its dashboard is a giant display screen and could have popped out of Mando’s ship.

While its roots are in van design, it resembles a mashup between a home appliance and an oversized box with wheels. The front end is as boxy as the back but lower to the ground, and it has an opaque rear-view window. It boasts a glass roof – perfect for distracting kids on long trips.

Instead of seating rows, passengers face each other in a U-shape configuration. The only thing missing is a coffee table to place snacks and drinks on. Like a minivan, the front doors swing open while the side doors slide open.

What’s startling about this concept car is its missing pedals on the driver’s side. You can stretch your legs, but not having pedals is disconcerting. The yoke-shaped steering wheel has touch-sensitive driving, braking, and acceleration buttons.

Honda has yet to release information about when the Space Hub will come to market.

The Saloon

Take a Countach and a Lamborghini, throw a dash of retro space-age design, and a snout. What do you have for the Saloon concept car? Sitting still, it looks both sleek and scary and serves as Honda's flagship model for this line of vehicles. You can imagine it performing VSTOL like a helicopter once you’re strapped. Like the Space Hub, the Saloon has a digital dashboard and yoke-shaped steering wheel.

The doors rise like a Mercedes SL 300 or a DeLorean to get in and the interior is sleek and fun. It might make you feel like you're a part of one of your favorite futuristic. movies when you take a seat. Honda states that it’s slated for production in 2026. You'll have to wait and see how much each will cost before you know if you need to make some extra money to afford one. 

Bottom line

When choosing a car, EVs are eco-friendly and cost-effective. They cut down on emissions, are fun to drive, use less oil than a conventional car, and generally have much lower operational costs, which saves you money. And they’re also designed to last longer on the road than a traditional car too. Honda’s concept cars are eye-catching. The Space-Hub and the Saloon could also be harbingers of future things. By utilizing AI, autonomous driving, and smart aerodynamics, not to mention fuel efficiency, driving can become fun again.