Can't say we've been dreaming of an all-electric Honda roadster, but EVs are in fashion right now, at least on the concept car circuit, and so the company unveiled the EV-ster in Tokyo. At first, it seems like a far-fetched little thing -- an EV roadster that uses carbon materials to keep weight down and improve range (100 miles claimed) and performance (0-60 in a claimed 5.0 seconds).
But during his roundtable discussion with North American journalists today, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said that Honda is looking to put a little more fun in its lineup, but with an eye toward the environment, and so a car like the EV-ster is a possibility for production. "Maybe it's an idea that we do a very small pure EV sports car," he said.
Honda released cursory specs on the EV-ster. It has a 91.5-inch wheelbase (4 inches less than a Honda Fit), and it's 140.5 inches longer overall -- over 20 inches shorter than the Fit. This is a small car. The battery pack has a modest 10kWh-rated capacity. Charge time is 3 hours at 200 volts, 6 hours at 100 volts (these are typical Japanese voltages).
Top speed is only 99 mph, which is a product of the narrow efficient operating range of electric motors. Still, roadsters aren't very enjoyable at triple digits anyway, as the wind buffeting gets insane.
The bigger issue here is that Hondas aren't that fun anymore, and the company men know it -- all the way up to the CEO -- so it makes sense to test the waters with a roadster concept. Is an affordable EV roadster a have/eat cake idea whose day has finally come (or is about to come), or should Honda be looking for simpler solutions, a la Mazda MX-5?
throwback says:
06:07 AM, 11/30/11
Nice concpet, but what Honda needs is fun to drive production cars.
pure_hp says:
06:34 AM, 11/30/11
+1 throwback
ed124c says:
06:56 AM, 11/30/11
Either Honda is way behind or they are too far ahead. Something in the middle might be nice.
rayzor says:
07:11 AM, 11/30/11
Future Honda Del Sol!?!
stoppre75 says:
07:34 AM, 11/30/11
They could have tried to remake the S2000 just once in its 12 year run...but they let it die. And now they're standing around the water cooler saying "hey remember when we made sports cars and we were cool...yeah those were fun times."
So they come up with an EV sports car good for 100 miles and 100mph...so Honda's fun times are limited to one hour bursts these days? What has the world come to...
How about they design a 2400lb sports car with an S2000 F20 engine AND a Li-Ion battery pack. Solves the car's only flaw, low torque.
adrn_10 says:
10:22 AM, 11/30/11
SOME of their models are still fun to drive. I own an 09 Accord coupe 4cyl and it's a joy driving it. Even after 3 years and hour long commutes to and from work each day.
stoppre75 says:
11:50 AM, 11/30/11
I'm happy you still enjoy your Accord after three years. It really is a great car for every day tasks while being efficient and super reliable. That does make you feel better behind the wheel of a car. S2000 and the accord are very different cars with nearly opposite purposes. Today's accord is also a much different car than one from 15 years ago. Honda has gone from lightweight, balanced, good handling cars with small efficient engines to bloated family sedans with computer tricks that sacrifice feel and handling for comfort and economy.
The prelude, integra, s2000 and nsx were some of the best cars of their day, hands down. Honda basically created an entire market with these cars. But they abandoned the pursuit of pure motoring for increased profits by following Toyota's business model. They fell behind the curve on engine technologies they pioneered. They basically lost sight of what makes their brand special.
They did release an entire new drive-train this week that looks to delivers a good bump in power while increasing efficiency. Thats why its my hope they turn their sights towards a hybrid sports car with a 4cyl DI engine paired with electric wheel motors (a la the Porsche 918's system...but at $35,000)
dilbones says:
09:05 AM, 12/ 5/11
I own an RSX Type-S and I've gotta say that it's probably the most well-balanced honda I've been in. It's fast and good on gas, it's comfortable with a Bose Sound System, and it gets my groceries so-to-speak. It's no hybrid but it does get me 23 mpg even when I pull from 6 to 8000 rpms on the highway a couple of times a week ;)