The new electric car platform developed for the production version of the Honda e prototype will be used for other small EVs in the future – which are set to include a a hot version of the e, and a production version of the Sports EV Concept.
The Sports EV Concept was shown at the 2017 Tokyo show, and previewed a striking two-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car with styling based closely on the Urban EV Concept that previewed the e prototype. It was intended as a vision of a flagship performance EV from the firm that would sit alongside the Honda Civic Type R and NSX.
The production car that is developed from the e prototype will be built on a new platform designed for A- and B-segment electric cars, and e prototype project manager Kohei Hitomi confirmed it would be used as the basis for a range of machines. It is likely that the firm would push to style those cars in a similar retro manner to the e prototype to create an EV family, although more traditionally styled cars are also likely.
Speaking about the platform, Hitomi said: “The fundamental technology is there and our colleagues in the design department are thinking in many directions.”
Asked if the platform would suit a car like the Sports EV, he said: “It can be any car. It can be a sporty car or a box-type car. Personally, I’d very much welcome a sporty car on that platform.”
Speaking at the Geneva show, Hitomi said the e prototype was already developed for good driving dynamics, but that "If there was demand in the market [for performance variant], we’d definitely consider it.”
However, he added: “At the moment, we don’t expect to have a high demand for a high-performance variant of the e prototype. The car has been designed to satisfy all the demands and requirements with dynamic driving behaviour.”
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