Honda EV Concept: Electrifying the future

The opening montage seems to play normally at first: the Honda logo, with its eponymous tagline, “The Power of Dreams” fades to black followed by the glow of an Engine Start Button. The driver presses it and what follows is a montage of nature, children playing under a blue sky, and even more nature. One by one, the hybrids, EVs, and even Honda’s fuel cell vehicles are given the hero treatment. They are undoubtedly the front and center in this video with the NSX and the Civic Type R relegated to an also-starring role. Things are about change at Honda and this video sets the tone.

With the shift of consumer preference, the advancement of urban centers, the aging of society, and the changing of climate now dictating what sells and what doesn’t, Honda is re-orienting itself not just to thrive, but to survive.

Echoing founder Soichiro Honda who said: “We only have one future, and it will be made of our dreams, if we have the courage to challenge convention,” the industrial giant that bears his name prepares itself for the challenge. In order to realize its long-term Vision 2030 philosophy, they are about to invest heavily in electrification, charting an entirely different path for the company once known for its high-revving VTEC engines.

Now, Honda will strive to become the leader in environmental and safety initiatives and will accelerate in promoting electrification as well as the effective use of renewable energy. Hand-in-hand, the company will also aim to improve vehicle safety through intelligent and connectivity technologies.

In order to achieve this, Honda plans to electrify two-thirds of their global automotive offerings by 2030. Currently at about five percent, Honda has established a dedicated team to develop purely electric vehicles along with other low-emissions efforts such as gasoline-hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles.

The most tangible result is seen through a pair of concept cars that took centerstage at the Tokyo Motor Show. The first is the Urban EV Concept, which is a cutesy urban commuter that’s been greenlit for production in 2019. Running on a dedicated EV platform, it runs on 240 kilometers on a single charge. The second is a sexy sportscar concept based off the same platform. The Sports EV Concept tugs at the heartstrings of sportscar lovers everywhere with its retro-futuristic styling. It even comes with an artificial intelligence system on-board to create communication that “unites driver and car.”

For the present, Honda is making its crash avoidance technology, Honda SENSING standard in all vehicles sold in its home market. Additionally, they will be expanding its deployment to more models globally.

Subaru Viziv: Old school high-performance, high-tech body

Subaru is showing off what the future WRX could look like. Though the full-model change (along with the subsequent shift to the Subaru Global Platform) is still some years off, the Japanese carmaker wasted no time revealing the VIZIV Performance Concept.

With a name that’s coined from the phrase, “Vision for Innovation,” this is the first time VIZIV is being used for a sedan body. Just like its previous concept cars and production models, the VIZIV Performance Concept uses the company’s trademark powertrain as inspiration for its design.

It’s based off Subaru’s Dynamic x Solid philosophy and features a forward-thrusting body, low stance, and bulbous fender flares with carbon fiber being used on the bumpers and fenders. Oh, and it looks angry—filled with angles, lines, and creases.

No possible drivetrain was mentioned, but the VIZIV Performance Concept sedan does maintain the brand’s iconic hood scoop which could indicate a high-performance turbocharged engine. As always, power is sent to all four wheels via its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.

And since safety is now integral to Subaru’s brand identity as well, the VIZIV Performance Concept boast cutting-edge driver-assist technologies which will debut in production cars by 2020. Its EyeSight driver-assist technology is now enhanced by radar and GPS navigation systems to possibly eliminate automotive accidents altogether.