Honda global CEO Toshihiro MibeJapanese automaker Honda is betting big on future of sustainable mobility technology even as there is a notable slowdown towards electrification globally, particularly in key markets such as the US and Europe.
At the opening day of the Japan Mobility Show 2025 in Tokyo on Wednesday, Toshihiro Mibe, President, CEO, and Representative Director, Honda Motor Company, said that although the market environment towards electrification continues to be uncertain, the company believes that in the long run, the shift towards EVs will continue.
“Honda is steadily preparing to deliver attractive EV models in the upcoming electrification era,” Mibe said during the company’s press conference at the exhibition.
“The company is working towards an ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050,” he added.
Honda 0 Series to defy existing norms
The auto giant outlined its new EV roadmap by announcing the birth of the Honda 0 series – the next-generation of EVs from the Japanese automaker– first unveiled at the CES 2025 earlier this year.
As per Mibe, the Honda 0 Series is the next-generation series of EVs that Honda will offer by going back to the starting point of Honda as an automaker and creating new EVs from “zero” based on original ideas.
With the unique development approach of “Thin, Light, and Wise”, Honda 0 Series will
defy existing conventions that EVs are “thick and heavy” and create completely new value, explained the company CEO.
The 0 series will encompass the flagship Honda 0 Saloon, and the Honda 0 mid-size SUV, which will be the first of the 0 series models scheduled for launch in Japan in the foreseeable future.
The company said that the mid-size SUV will feature a spacious cabin with a clear and unrestricted field of view and great flexibility, realised by applying the unique “Thin, Light, and Wise” development approach to an SUV to further increase the interior space. The 0 series models will also feature Honda’s latest vehicle software – ASIMO OS – named after the company’s famous humanoid robot.
The 0 Saloon and SUV models will go on sale in Japan by the end of financial year ending March 2028.
Honda 0 alpha mid-size SUV for India
Honda also showcased the world premiere of the prototype of the Honda 0 α (alpha) – a brand-new mid-size SUV model for the Honda 0 Series.
By applying packaging design based on the “Thin” approach, styling with a low vehicle height was achieved without compromising ground clearance, creating a thin cabin that still offers a spacious and comfortable space for occupants.
Mibe also outlined that Honda is planning to begin global sales of the production model of the Honda 0 α, mainly in Japan and India, in 2027.
“With this “gateway model” to the Honda 0 Series, Honda will strive to offer new value to a greater number of customers around the world,” Mibe said.
When launched in India, the Honda 0 alpha SUV will expand the brand’s existing three-model portfolio and diversify the options for the consumers by introducing its first all-electric offering to complement the Honda Elevate SUV already on sale in the market. The 0 alpha Will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta EV and MG Windsor EV in the Indian market.
