WheeEV! Honda Has an Electric Sports Car Concept in Its Back Pocket

Hear that sound? It’s in the key of EV, and it’s coming from yet another new pure-electric car called the Honda Sports EV concept. We can’t see it in full just yet, but it is set to make its debut at the 2017 Tokyo auto show.



Honda has put together a solid string of wins lately. The new Accord seems to be another home run, the line of sporty Civics reminds enthusiasts why they fell in love with the company in the first place, and the stylish retro Urban EV concept (shown below) would make the perfect cuddle buddy. In Tokyo next month, Honda hopes to build on the recent success with the debut of a new sports car with an all-electric powertrain. Its exhibition stand will show off the creatively named Sports EV concept, the Urban EV, and the NeuV; the company also will debut the Riding Assist-e self-balancing motorcycle. A celebration of the Super Cub scooter is in store, too, as its production run nears 100 million units and its 60th anniversary approaches.



Although there is little information on the Sports EV thus far, it seems the concept will essentially be a sports car version of the Urban EV, since it will utilize the same platform. Honda says the concept has artificial intelligence and supple surfaces with a friendly front fascia, just like the Urban EV.

Although this car likely will debut amid swirling speculation about the possible return of the Honda S2000, it’s doubtful this is at all related. The sketch shows a coupe and not a convertible, for one, and there have not been any indications that the S2K would be electric; it’s also extremely unlikely that it would share a platform with a city car. The Urban EV concept is a retro-modern hatch harking back to the original Civic CVCC and other classic Honda models, and the Sports EV looks similarly influenced by Honda’s pint-size S600 and S800 sports cars of the 1960s. We think that it would make a perfect stablemate to the Urban EV, which Honda has said will reach production in 2019.



The Honda Riding Assist-e motorcycle also will make its world debut at Tokyo in electric form. The Riding Assist bike was first seen earlier this year at CES with a traditional gasoline engine; it features self-balancing technology at low speeds with the help of a gyroscope. Aligning with the company’s (and the world’s) push for less emissions, the techy concept now is powered by an electric motor. Expect more details on these products in time for the Tokyo show at the end of October.