What's the news?
I think it's fair to say we got pretty excited about Honda's super-cute Urban EV concept at the Frankfurt motor show (imagine an up-sized Mk1 Civic with batteries). Well, now we're even more excited about the prospect of an all-electric coupe concept to be shown at the upcoming Tokyo motor show (remember when that was the most exciting and important motor show of them all? CompleteCar does...).
So far we have scant details of the Sports EV Concept, as it will be called. Just this slightly vague over-the-shoulder sketch image, and the fact that Honda says it will have "a striking silhouette, friendly face and supple body surfaces, all designed to ensure the car blends into any lifestyle." Apparently, "the development team designed the sporty electric car to deliver a feeling of joy and emotional unity to the drive, achieved by efficiently combining the EV power unit and AI technology in a compact bodyshape." So that sounds good then.
Better yet, with Honda being deadly serious about ramping up its electric car range, and with the Urban EV concept due to make production by 2020, there's strong hope that this sporty electric coupe will also make it through to dealers. Honda hasn't made an overtly sporting car since the early-2000s S2000, and no coupe (US-market Civic Coupe aside) since the unloved hybrid CR-Z. Perhaps the Sports EV presages a return to the glory days of the Prelude? We can but hope...
Also appearing on Honda's stand in Tokyo will be the Urban EV, as seen in Frankfurt, alongside the new CR-V Hybrid, the NeuV concept (an artificially-intelligent autonomous pod, shown at the CES in Las Vegas earlier this year) and a 60th birthday celebrating for what is arguably the most important Honda ever - the Super Cub moped. A new version of the Super Cub 125 will be unveiled along with, astonishing, the 100-millionth example built.