While many automakers have started to back off and slow down their electric car programs, Honda is just getting started, as revealed during a press conference at the Japan Mobility Expo on Wednesday. The country’s third-largest automaker has released a pair of “concept” battery electric vehicles that will actually go into production next year.
The Honda 0 α, or Alpha, will be the third member of the automaker’s new 0 Series EV family. The Honda Super-ONE, meanwhile, is a compact hatchback that the automaker says is designed for “driving pleasure,” offering features like Boost Mode and simulated gears.
Unfortunately for American EV fans, none of these will make it to US showrooms. So far, though Honda executives have told Autoblog later we can see how they will change the Pacific Ocean.
Honda electrifies
For the automaker that helped coin the term “electrified,” Honda has been relatively slow to expand its battery lineup, especially when it comes to purely electric products. It currently offers only a small handful of EVs, with the two models available stateside coming from a joint venture with General Motors. And now it has stopped production of the Acura ZDX due to weak sales.
Honda is now rolling out a range of home battery and electric packs, including the uniquely quirky 0 Series, which will debut in 2026. Alpha will become the third member of this family.
The Super-ONE, meanwhile, occupies an even smaller footprint and will be built as an electric hot hatch of sorts. The product development team set out to create an electric car that would be as fun to drive as any similar gas-powered model.
Honda 0 a
The Alpha adopts the distinctive “Slim, Light and Smart” design language used for the larger and more luxurious O-Series SUV. It features a sharply curved windshield, curved roofline, and reverse-angled backlighting, all key elements of the overall aerodynamic shape. In concept form, it gets 0 off-road pixel-shaped LED headlights and wraparound taillights.
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Like the SUV, the Alpha rides on a skateboard-like platform. However, Honda isn’t offering any insight into the powertrain, other than saying it will be all-electric. It will likely use a single electric motor that will deliver less power and likely a shorter range than the O SUV package. This is not surprising, since the Alpha is affordable. And that, in turn, makes sense as it will debut in Japan first and then go into production in India, the subcontinent that is expected to be its main market.
In its current form, it is “not intended for the North American market at all,” said Toshikazu Hirose, head of the Alpha program. Nonetheless, Honda will “consider” using the Alpha as a “possible” affordable electric car model to sell in the U.S. under the O-Series banner.
Honda Super-ONE
Fans of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed may recognize the Super-ONE. The previous version, the Super EV Concept, climbed the legendary mountain last July.
The Super-ONE has several goals for Honda. As well as being affordable, it had to be small enough to appeal to urban dwellers in places like Japan and the UK. It was also necessary to be able to “turn everyday mobility into an interesting and uplifting experience”.
The production model is “sporty, unique and agile,” said Hidetomo Horita, the project’s chief engineer. One of its more exciting features is the button-operated electric boost mode, which “boosts power so the powertrain can reach its full performance potential, while synchronizing the simulated 7-speed transmission and Active Sound Control system to create a powerful engine sound and sharp gearshift feel, as if you were driving an engine-driven vehicle with a traditional multi-speed gearbox.
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According to Honda, like the Honda 0 α, the Super-ONE will go into production in Japan sometime next year, followed by “other regions with strong demand for compact electric cars.” This could include the UK and other Asian markets, Horita said. “It’s too small for the US,” he explained, though that could also affect future models for states where performance is as important as range.
This story was originally reported by Autoblog in 2025. on October 29, where it first appeared in the news section. Add Autoblog as a preferred source by clicking here.