Japanese automaker Honda is dropping hints about a new electric sports car due out later this year in honor of its 75th anniversary.
According to a report from the British automotive magazine Car, it could be a blast from the past. The report claims Honda insiders referenced the S2000 when hinting at an electric sports car due out later this year.
The electric sports car will ride on Honda’s new e:n electric platform, which the automaker showed off earlier this year in the e:Ny1 SUV in Germany.
Honda says the platform is designed with a low center of gravity and underfloor aerodynamics for a “fun and confidence-inspired” driving experience, factors that could translate over to an EV sports car.
The automaker plans to launch 30 EV models globally by 2030, including at least two electric sportscars, a specialty, and a flagship model.
One will be an NSX (An Acura model in North America), and the other will be a new GT. Perhaps, the new model could also be a Type R, making it the only non-FWD car to feature the badge since the NSX Type R.
Kotaro Yamamoto, Honda technical consultant, teased the idea, telling Car:
Type R stands for racing. It’s pleasure transported. An electric car can deliver this, and a Type R is not obliged to use a combustion engine. Even in a fully electric society, there will still be Type Rs delivering ultimate driving pleasure.
Although Honda didn’t reveal any additional information, you can expect a premium price tag. Rebecca Adamson, Head of Automobiles for Honda UK, said, “While we cannot compete with Chinese manufacturers on price, we have 75 years of engineering experience.”
Electrek’s Take
We may see a Honda electric sports car in the US before any of its other all-electric vehicles. The company has yet to release its first EV in North America, the Honda Prologue, due out next year.
The Prologue is an electric SUV based on General Motors’ Ultium platform, which will be used for the upcoming Chevy Silverado EV, Blazer EV, and Equinox EV. GM is having its own issues ramping production with battery production limiting output.
Honda plans to accelerate EV development in the second half of the decade with its dedicated e:Architecture due out in 2026.
In 2027, Honda plans to introduce a series of affordable EVs in collaboration with GM, “with a cost and range that will be as competitive as gasoline-powered vehicles” in North America.
Honda’s CEO Toshihiro Mibe, who took over in 2021, looks to get the Japanese automaker back on track in the new EV era. Yet it still may be too little too late. Many automakers are already achieving double-digit or 100% EV sales with second or third-gen products on the way.