With the American market still struggling to get its head around the whole electric car thing, plenty of manufacturers are scaling back their EV ambitions to refocus on hybrid power. Whether that's right for the market and, indeed, the globe remains to be seen, but we can for sure expect to see a lot more cars with internal combustion over the next few years.

Honda has made its plans clear on that front, which might be cause for concern among many for one simple reason: Outside of the NSX, the company's hybrids thus far haven't exactly been the most engaging of machines. That, though, could change with a new set of hybrid platforms launching soon that'll be lighter, quicker and even more fun to drive.

At the company's extensive proving grounds outside of Tochigi, Japan, I was given a go in a pair of cars that gave me reason to be optimistic about this next generation of electrically assisted but still combustion-dependent machines. They rely on a series of advancements that come together to form three different platforms: Small, Medium and Large.

Collectively, they're known as the Next Generation Hybrid System, and each one is designed to be modular, able to be scaled up or down to fit different models while still keeping their fundamental sections the same. Platform sharing like this makes it much easier (and cheaper) for manufacturers to roll out new machines and to do it quickly. With Honda looking to ramp up its hybrid offerings, that's key.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

These platforms encompass things like chassis, engines, electric motors and electronics, plus the wonderful web of software required to tie it all together. Reducing weight is a huge focus here, with Honda's engineers coming up with a way to maintain crash safety while dramatically reducing the size of the front and rear subframes. This alone equates to a weight savings of some 90 kilograms (about 200 pounds) in a vehicle the size of a Honda Civic. 

Lighter weight means more efficiency and better fuel economy. There's also a commensurate reduction in cost of 10 percent for manufacturing versus the company's current platforms, plus promises of increased grip and reduced road noise. 

The smallest of Honda's new platforms is destined for Honda's smallest cars, including ultra-minis that swarm Japanese streets but have rarely found much success in the United States. For now, at least, we won't be getting any cars based on that platform.

The Medium and Large platforms, though, will be tucked in neatly throughout many next-generation cars from the brand. Medium will be suitable for four-cylinder machines like the Civic and crossover SUVs like the HR-V. The Large platform, meanwhile, will be used for bigger V6 machines, like the Ridgeline and Passport.

Each system ties that engine to a pair of electric motors, plus an optional third electric motor at the back for all-wheel drive. A revised, more compact battery provides the high-voltage current to power the system. It's tucked in beneath the rear seat.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

None of that is radically different from what can be found in Honda's current hybrids. And, like those, these new hybrids will be able to run in an effective series hybrid mode, where the engine just charges the battery and the car drives exclusively using the electric motors. Or, step on that throttle harder at higher speeds and the car can directly engage the engine to power the car forward.

That's all familiar, but a few changes could have some significant impacts. On the Large platform, a new transmission enables the car to have both a "hi" and "lo" gear range, which could be a boon for anyone towing their trusty trailer up into the mountains for a weekend getaway. 

The Medium-sized platform can do some shifting, too, but it's only pretend shifting here using a system called S+ Shift. At the press of a button (conveniently labeled S+), this new technology creates the experience of driving a virtual eight-speed transmission that you can run up or down through by pulling on the shift paddles on the back of the steering wheel.

Since, again, these hybrids are driven by their electric motors, shifting isn't really doing much of anything but making the engine rev more or less. But, by varying the electric motor's output and regeneration, you get a surge of extra resistance on deceleration and a kick of acceleration on upshifts, all to simulate the feeling of a proper transmission.

I confess that I was very skeptical about how this system would really help when I went to Japan, but I was wrong. It's great. Honda prepared a prototype sedan for me to drive, and it looked all the world like a current-gen Civic up top, except with a rather large nose stuck on the front and some decidedly pronounced flared fenders. 

Underneath the skin was a completely different machine, built around a front-drive version of the next-gen platform. It sounded great to start, helped by what looked like a sport exhaust at the back, plus no shortage of digital augmentation coming through the speakers.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

But the S+ Shift mode really made a compelling difference, too. Even though you're really just needlessly revving that hybrid engine more or less, and actually making the system less efficient, the result is a car that feels responsive and in control, rather than something just droning on as deftly as possible.The way the car responds, aggressively downshifting as you brake for corners and giving you a little kick with every upshift on the way out, it made me smile.

The rest of the car did, too. Honda's test track was far too smooth for me to sample the improved ride quality or reduction in road noise, but the car's handling felt good and its steering sharp, not quite as remarkable as the current Civic Type R but, again, way more fun than today's humble Civic Hybrid. 

Honda hasn't announced where this new platform will first appear, but if you want to get an early taste of S+ Shift, it'll be debuting in the upcoming Honda Prelude hybrid. That reborn coupe lacks all the other advancements to be found in Honda's next-gen platform, but it does offer the S+ virtual shifting. It's remarkably effective here, too, and with lots of parts sharing with the Civic Type R, the Prelude was a surprisingly good time.

While the Prelude is hitting dealers soon, to sample cars featuring the next-gen hybrid platform, you'll have to wait a little longer. Honda representatives said it'll start showing up beneath the flesh of its machines starting as soon as next year. Based on the shape of that prototype I drove, I'd say a next-generation Civic will be among the first to sport it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/driving-hondas-lighter-faster-and-more-fun-next-gen-hybrid-prototype-150000472.html?src=rss

Every two years, the Japan Mobility Show gives us a preview of the future of motoring as envisioned by the major Japanese manufacturers. Sadly, for Honda, the resounding message coming from this year's show was that the future is getting a little farther away. That's the case for American drivers, at least, thanks largely to the effects of the Trump administration according to Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. 

In Tokyo this year, the company unveiled a trio of cool, next-gen electric vehicles at the show, each more compelling than the next. First up is the new 0 Series α, a new addition to the 0 Series of EVs that Honda has been teasing us with for a few years now.

Back in January at  CES, the company showed off the evocatively styled 0 Saloon and 0 SUV. Both made quite a stir, particularly the former, which was impossible to admire without picking up strong Lamborghini vibes. Mibe confirmed that those cars are still on track, coming towards the end of 2026 or 2027. However, expected sales have been reduced. 

Mibe didn't give specifics there, only saying: "The volume initially will probably be less than we had envisioned earlier."

Honda

The newly unveiled 0 Series α is a new, third member of Honda's nascent next-gen EV family. It looks nigh identical to the SUV concept, but in reality, it's significantly smaller. It will be cheaper, too, enabling it to target the Indian market. It has a hope of going elsewhere in the world, including Japan and Europe, but Honda representatives said repeatedly that it's not for the American market. Mibe said it's "probably too small" for the US market.

So, too, the Super-One Prototype. This tiny hatchback made a run up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, wrapped in camouflage to hide its decidedly angular profile. In Tokyo, Honda stripped off the graphics, revealing a cheeky mini-sized machine with big box fenders and endless personality. While Honda didn't quote a power output, it surely won’t be a rocket ship, but with the instant torque of an EV, plus a variety of selectable synthesized engine notes, it should still be a mighty good time.

Indeed, it was. I got a brief go behind the wheel of a prototype machine at Honda's proving grounds in Tochigi, Japan. Though it wasn't much for outright speed, the brisk acceleration combined with petite dimensions made me grin ear-to-ear. Sadly, though, that's probably the only chance I'll ever get to drive one. The Super-One is intended for drivers in Japan and the United Kingdom, with potential expansion elsewhere in Europe based on demand.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

America has never been a great market for machines of that size, so it shouldn't be a surprise that these two aren't US-bound, but it is part of a more troubling trend. Honda has largely paused its efforts to develop low-cost EVs for the American market, waiting for political headwinds to come around.

"With the Trump administration in place, we have a sense that maybe the EV growth has been moved back out by maybe five years or so into the future. So, the timing for doing anything will be difficult," he said. "2030, at that point in time, maybe we need to provide a wide, broad product range, including EVs. So, we will have to think about future strategy for the US market."

Tellingly, Mibe said that they're actively watching American mid-term elections, to see whether there's any hope of the political climate changing in the future. 

Just like in discount furniture stores, volume is the real factor here, particularly when it comes to battery production. The company's partnership with General Motors was an attempt to do just that.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

"Our first objective in collaborating with GM was to expand the volume to reduce the cost," he said. "I believe the aim there, from on the side of GM, was the same."

That partnership, however, was aborted after just the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX reached the market, leaving Honda to go its own way for now, at least, bereft of a partner to boost its battery volume. 

This could complicate Honda's plans to be totally carbon neutral by 2050, a pledge that Mibe said is still very much in the cards. To start in that direction, the company will push more towards advanced hybrids of the sort we'll get our first taste of starting next year. (I also got to sample that while I was out there, which you can read about here.)

However, while these new hybrids will decrease consumption and further reduce the carbon footprint of a given car, they will not completely eliminate it. So, Honda is working on other means of decreasing the company's effective carbon footprint, including direct air capture (DAC), devices which can suck carbon dioxide straight out of the air — a long-time environmental dream that's always seemed just a few years away.

So small, cheap EVs aren't in the plans for the immediate future, but Honda isn't totally giving up on its US EV aspirations. Again, the 0 Series SUV and Saloon are due next year. Mibe said there's another, even larger EV due for the American market sometime after 2030, but that too could depend on which way the American government swings between now and then. 

Honda

If all's looking well, we might eventually get a taste of another electric concept that Honda rolled out at the show. Called the EV Outlier, it's an electric motorcycle with a lean, sharp style and a laid-back riding position that is hard not to read as at least partially inspired by that most iconic sci-fi motorcycle of all time: Kaneda's bike in Akira.

This one isn't red and it lacks the distinctive stickers, but like Kaneda's bike, both wheels are driven by electricity. It relies on a pair of integrated hub motors to provide the thrust, and if the width of the rear tire is any indication, there'll be plenty of that.

A sweeping, free-standing digital display serves as the dashboard, and controls are minimalist in a way that only a concept bike can be. Honda said this might be ready for production by 2030, but the svelte packaging here may necessitate next-generation, solid-state batteries to make that a reality. 

Those batteries, Mibe said, are still progressing. Honda has a prototype production line in process, so they're actually building the things and trying to turn them into viable products.

But that's only if Honda can overcome some significant engineering challenges between now and then, and if the US government dials back on the EV hate by the end of the decade. Those are two pretty big ifs, and I confess I'm not sure which poses the biggest challenge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/honda-shows-off-three-new-evs-in-tokyo-but-its-us-plans-are-getting-more-tepid-150000775.html?src=rss