The Honda Zero EV looks even more attractive up close.

Honda launched one of its more interesting concepts at last year’s CES with two Honda Zero prototypes: Saloon and Space-Hub. They promised to come back in a year with a more production-ready product. But rather than tone down these space-age design elements, Honda leaned into them. I go in.

The Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV retain many of the elements that made the concept so strange and different, and not necessarily in an unpleasant way. But it’s definitely not the electric CR-V that customers have been begging the company to build for years. In fact, Honda seems to be saying this to everyone who wants a normal-looking EV: “We see you. We hear you. We don’t care.”

Much has already been said about the similarities between the Honda Zero prototype and certain iconic vehicles from the ’70s and ’80s, such as the Lamborghini Countach, AMC Gremlin, Aston Martin Lagonda Shooting Brake, and (h/t Jason Torchinsky) Brubaker Box. .

My theory is that Honda reaches for this design inspiration as a way to offset the future impact of the ultra-compact interior and talks about a “software-defined vehicle” in all its marketing. After all, what Honda actually announced this year was a homegrown operating system named after the iconic Asimo robot.

Zero EV feels like a lot of window dressing for the actual product, which is mostly software. What better way to get people to listen to a TED talk on “High-Performance Systems on Chips” than standing in front of a car that looks like it’s floating in low-Earth orbit?

One thing I noticed about the Saloon is that there is no rear window. The rounded rectangle on the back is not transparent. The depth effect is very impressive, but it doesn’t obscure the incognito window. It’s the tail light.

Another thing that caught my attention was the lack of side mirrors. Honda is using cameras instead. Drivers who want to check their blind spots must use two screens built into each end of a long piece of glass that runs the length of the dashboard. Of course, US safety regulations require regular old side mirrors, so this seems mostly hopeful.

An SUV is less “out there” than a Saloon. And that means we’ll likely see some version of it on American roads before the sedan. There’s definitely a rear window, and the greenhouse’s ventilation seems to hint at the Honda Zero’s design principles of “thin, light, smart.”

Honda has said its Zero EV will be based on the automaker’s Formula 1 racing experience, but there are no specifications for either vehicle. In addition, we aim to optimize battery efficiency through the e-Axle system, which consists of a motor, inverter, and gearbox that converts electric power into driving energy. Each EV is expected to have a range of about 300 miles, which equates to an 80-90 kWh battery.

Other important details include efforts to integrate electronic controls similar to Rivian’s recently relaunched R1 vehicle. By reducing the number of parts and wires, Honda is clearly trying to limit costs in an environment of rising production costs.

The fact that neither vehicle has anything remotely resembling physical knobs or dials inside is a very good sign that automakers continue to ignore customers’ requests to stop porting every bit of functionality through a digital interface. Yes, I am an old man shouting at the clouds. But for the love of God, give me something I can twist or push. Driving down the highway at 75 miles per hour and blindly pounding on the smooth windshield to regulate your heat is not my idea of ​​a good time.

A yoke… a yoke. Car manufacturers love steering yokes! But when it comes time to actually put something into production, it mostly goes back to the wheel shape. The moonroof is one of the features that suggests the “thin” principle. And clearly, Honda’s promise that the Zero vehicle will come with Level 3 autonomy, also known as “hands-off, eyes-off” driving, requires more explanation. What does the handoff between autonomous systems and drivers look like? And how do we explain the human tendency to zone out when we are not actively involved in driving?

There are a lot of questions swirling about this vehicle! Will they go into production? There is a non-zero probability.