Honda unveils small electric automotive, bike and plane concepts ahead of Tokyo show debut

Although the Japan Mobility Show — the successor the long-running biennial Tokyo motor show — is a month away, Honda has just revealed a lot of electric automotive, van and bike concepts it should have on display.

The Sustaina-C concept looks to hold on the retro styling theme from the e that’s sold in Europe and Japan, albeit as a three-door hatch. In a nod to the first-generation Ford Ka, the Sustaina-C also has black bumpers that flow straight into the wheel arch protectors.

Featuring body panels constructed from recycled and reused acrylic resin, the Sustaina-C was developed to “display the concept of transcending the constraints of the limited availability of resources through ‘resource circulation’”.

It’s unclear if the Sustaina-C previews a brand new production automotive, and if it does, we’re unsure if it should ride on a brand new platform or use an updated version of the so-far bespoke rear-wheel EV architecture employed by the e.

While the e has earned a number of praise for exterior and interior design, sales have been below expectations with only around 10,000 sold to this point. The e’s small 35.5kWh battery pack and 220km WLTP range rating, coupled with high pricing are cited because the primary culprits.

Accompanying the Sustaina-C is an equivalent electric bike, referred to as the Pocket concept. It too has recycled acrylic resin panels, and a red, black and white design.

The opposite electric bike revealed overnight was the SC e: concept, which has two Honda Mobile Power Pack e: swappable battery packs.

Honda boldly claims the SC e: will allow its hypothetical owners to “transcend the constraints of time” as they now not must wait for his or her bike batteries to recharge.

The CI-MEV concept is a tiny two seater is a “last mile” mobility vehicle designed for many who don’t live near public transport and other people who “experience difficulty in walking an extended distance”.

It could also, presumably, be utilized in small hilly or mountainous Japanese towns where even kei cars seem kinda large.

Given its petite size and specific use case, the CI-MEV will likely have a small battery with limited range, and a low top speed.

Similar vehicles are classed as quadricycles in Europe. One example is Fiat Topolino/Citroen Ami/Opel Rocks Electric, which all feature a 6kW electric motor driving the front wheels, a 45km/h top speed, a 5.5kWh battery good for around 75km of driving, and a plastic body draped over a steel frame weighing around 475kg in total.

Much more area of interest is the Autonomous Work Vehicle concept, which is designed to hold large and heavy loads around a factory or warehouse.

Its utility can expanded to a “big selection of applications using various attachments”.

The almost definitely automotive to transition into production is the unnamed “commercial-use mini-BEV” prototype. Based on the petrol-powered N-Van kei automotive, which has a sliding side doors and a 660cc three-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual.

Visual differences between the prevailing petrol N-Van and the prototype are limited to a brand new bumper with a centrally mounted licence plate slot. There’s also a blacked out grille, door handles, and unadorned steel wheels for a really utilitarian look.

With a purpose to comply with kei automotive regulations power will likely be limited to 47kW.

Also lurking at Honda’s display stands might be a one-fifth scale mockup of the eVTOL concept. Powered by a hybrid gas turbine system, which can even on show, the eVTOL is able to vertical take-off and landing — hence the name — and appears to be targeted at future air taxi services.

Honda has yet to disclose any details in regards to the drivetrains for these automotive, bike and plane concepts. We expect specifics to be announced closer to the Japan Mobility Show, which takes place at the top of October.