Honda used its Automotive Technology Workshop to share new details about a next-generation platform that will form the backbone of its upcoming hybrid range. The new architecture is set to underpin models such as the Civic, HR-V, CR-V, Accord, and several others, marking a major step in the brand’s transition toward cleaner and more efficient vehicles.

The new platform’s design centers on improved rigidity to sharpen handling, a development that will also influence Honda’s future EV structures. Engineers have managed to reduce overall weight by 90 kilograms (198 pounds) compared to the current setup.

According to Honda, these changes will make future models both more engaging to drive and more economical at the pump.

More: Honda Bets On A New Hybrid V6 Instead Of Going All Electric

Honda has also drawn on its robotics expertise to introduce a new Motion Management System, designed to enhance stability and steering response. Complementing this is an upgraded Agile Handling Assist system, now paired with a pitch control feature to deliver steadier behavior across a variety of road surfaces.

Another focus area is modularity. The updated platform will allow for more than 60 percent parts commonality between models, streamlining development and manufacturing while reducing costs.

Next Civic Prototype

Among the vehicles being tested on this new foundation is a camouflaged Civic mule, previewed in these official photos you see here. The test car wears the body of the current Civic but features a noticeably bulkier front end, boxier bumper design, and a longer overhang. These changes are purely functional, meant to accommodate and evaluate the new underpinnings rather than preview final styling.

More: Honda’s New Electric SUV Might Be Small But Its Global Ambitions Are Big

The extensions on the front and rear fenders hint at wider tracks, while the inserts on the hood could be related to aerodynamics.

The tail is carried over from the existing Civic sedan, but it gets dual tailpipes. Of course, the design of the final product will be different, as this vehicle is only intended for testing the new underpinnings.

Prelude Tricks Trickle Down The Range

The upcoming hybrid powertrain is expected to pair a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with electric motors, offering better performance with higher efficiency. It will also borrow certain traits from the Prelude coupe, including the Honda S+ Shift system. This feature mimics gear changes through sound and torque modulation, adding a familiar rhythm to the driving experience despite the absence of a physical gearbox.

The fake gearshifts will also find their way into the Super-One EV. The urban hatchback that debuted at the Japan Mobility Show will have a simulated seven-speed setup, an active sound control system, and a “Boost” driving mode, making the best out of the fully electric powertrain.

It rides on a lightweight platform evolved from the N Series kei cars, with a wider stance and a battery pack mounted under the floor. The Super-One will arrive in Japan from 2026, followed by the UK, Europe, and other Asian countries.

Honda’s long-term vision reaches well beyond product development. By 2050, the company intends to achieve full carbon neutrality across all its vehicles and corporate operations. In that same timeframe, it also aims for a world where traffic collisions involving its motorcycles and cars result in zero fatalities.

Honda

The Super EV Concept previewed by Honda at the Goodwood Festival of Speed has morphed into this: the Super-One Prototype. Presented at the Japan Mobility Show this week, this model is a close preview of a new production model that’ll essentially serve as a successor to the Honda e.

Read: Honda’s Smallest Electric Car Can Power Your Home And More

Presented in Tokyo as the Super-One Prototype, the pint-sized electric city car will be sold across Japan, Asia, and Oceania as the Super-ONE, but sold in the UK as the Super-N.

It is based around Honda’s new N-One e: kei cars sold in Japan and has a sporty persona that’s bound to appeal to some performance car enthusiasts.

Honda hasn’t released powertrain details for the model, but says it’s equipped with a simulated seven-speed transmission and an Active Sound Control system that mimics the soundtrack of a “powerful” engine.

The virtual gear shifts and the ICE-inspired soundtrack will fire into life when the car is driven in Boost mode. Additionally, there’ll be dedicated interior displays and coordinated lighting sequences to enhance the thrill of driving.

A Sport Design to Match

It’s not just the driver-focused nature of the Super-One that makes it stand out from the old Honda e. It also has a fun exterior design. Looking more like a car that has been tweaked by an aftermarket firm for the Tokyo Auto Salon, the EV includes bulging wheel arches and sporty bumpers. It even has a small wing at the rear.

Found in the cabin are sporty seats trimmed in black, white, and grey upholstery. There’s also a small digital instrument cluster and a large central infotainment display similar to other Honda models.

The production model will hit the market next year, first launching in Japan, before being added to Honda’s UK range and in several other Asian markets.

“The Super-N Prototype promises to offer a great entry point to Honda EV ownership when it arrives in our market next year, building on the excitement we saw for the concept model at Goodwood this summer,” Honda UK head Rebecca Adamson said.

“By bringing Honda’s trademark ‘fun-to-drive’ performance to a compact all-electric model, we believe this is a unique proposition and we are excited for people to experience it from 2026.”

The SUV staring back at you here is the Honda 0 α, unveiled in a world premiere at the Japan Mobility Show and already edging toward production within the next two years.

It’s officially labeled a “prototype,” but as we’ve seen in the past, in Honda terms, that means pre-production rather than pure concept. It joins the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV that made their debut earlier this year, rounding out Honda’s latest attempt to reinvent itself for the electric age.

Read: Honda’s 0 Saloon EV Looks Like A Lambo Gallardo Sedan From The Future

Honda refers to the 0 α (Alpha) as a “gateway model” for its 0 Series range of electric vehicles. The production model will hit the market in 2027 and be available in markets around the world, with a particular focus on Japan and India.

It has a very similar design to the 0 SUV, but is slightly smaller. And, just like the two other 0 Series models, it looks unlike anything in Honda’s current range.

The most obvious points of difference between the 0 α and the 0 SUV are found at the front. This smaller model rocks a set of different LED taillights and DRLs, but retains an illuminated Honda badge. The lower bumper has also been redesigned and looks slightly more aggressive with a pair of body-colored elements.

From the side, the 0 α looks almost indiscernible from the larger model. It retains the same odd shape with an incredibly high rear window and thick rear pillars.

It also has the same rocker panels, the same basic doors, and the same flush handles. The most obvious difference is that it’s slightly shorter and lacks the tiny window behind the C-pillars of the larger model.

The similarities continue at the rear. Honda has equipped the 0 α with a U-shaped LED lightbar that stretches up the tailgate. Notably, the 0 α has a larger rear window than the 0 SUV, which should improve rear visibility. A curvaceous bumper also catches the eye.

What About The Tech?

Honda has yet to release any technical specifications about the new prototype. We know that the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV will share a platform with the Afeela EV that Honda co-developed with Sony. Presumably, the 0 α will also use the same architecture.

The carmaker notes that the 0 α also adopts the same ‘Thin, Light, and Wise’ approach of the other 0 Series models. Honda has previously said this approach will lead to the creation of an “ultra-thin battery pack” and a compact e-Axle.

The thin battery pack will allow Honda to reduce the height of the floors in its EVs and boost cabin space without impacting ground clearance.

As with the other 0 Series models, the 0 α should hit the market with at least 300 miles or 483 km of range. All 0 Series models are also tipped to hit the market with Level 3 self-driving capabilities that include an eyes-off function for highway traffic jams.

We also know the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV will come standard with NACS charging ports, although it’s unclear if the 0 α will as well given that Honda hasn’t mentioned any plans to sell it in North America.

Final sales results for the third quarter are now in, closing one of the most closely watched reporting periods the electric vehicle market has seen in recent years. No doubt, the Trump administration’s move to scrap the federal EV tax credit sparked a final buying spree that sent sales figures sharply upward.

Unsurprisingly, two familiar Tesla models held a commanding lead, but several other notable models experienced significant demand spikes.

How Big Was the Jump?

According to Kelley Blue Book data, U.S. EV sales hit an all-time quarterly high of 438,487 units, up 40.7 percent from Q2 and 29.6 percent higher year over year, surpassing the previous record from Q4 2024 by nearly 20 percent.

Electric vehicles also claimed a record 10.5 percent share of total vehicle sales, up from 8.6 percent in the same period last year.

Read: Federal Deadline Turns EV Into One Of VW’s Hottest Sellers

The Tesla Model Y was still comfortably the most popular EV in the United States, as 114,897 were sold during the period, a 29 percent increase from 89,077 delivered last year. Even so, Tesla’s overall market share slipped to 41 percent from 49 percent a year ago.

In second place was another Tesla, the Model 3, at 53,857 units. That result was actually down 7.8 percent year over year, suggesting some buyers may have shifted their attention toward the updated Model Y.

Top 10 Best-Selling EVs In Q3 2025

What About Non-Tesla Models?

The first non-Tesla entrant on the best-sellers list was the Chevrolet Equinox EV. A total of 25,085 were sold, a huge 156.7 percent rise from 9,772.

Positioned not far behind it were the Hyundai Ioniq 5 with 21,999 sales, the Honda Prologue with 20,236 sales, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E with 20,177 sales. The VW ID.4 was also a strong performer for the quarter, with 12,470 units, a 176 percent increase from Q3 2024.

A surprise inclusion among the best-sellers was the Audi Q6 e-tron. A total of 10,299 SUVs were sold during the quarter, an impressive result considering that model’s premium positioning that allowed it to outsell the Ford F-150 Lightning (10,005 units).

Other strong performers included the Rivian R1S with 8,184 sales, the Chevrolet Blazer EV (8,089), the Kia EV9 (7,510), and the Cadillac Lyriq, of which 7,309 found new homes.

Still, fewer than 10 models managed to exceed 10,000 sales in Q3 2025, underscoring how top-heavy the market remains. For most automakers, EV volume remains well below the levels needed for profitability.

The Best Sellers YTD

Year-to-date figures show total U.S. EV sales surpassed 1.04 million units, up 11.7 percent from about 935,000 a year earlier.

Tesla continued to lead with 451,160 units, down 4.3 percent year over year but still holding a 41 percent market share. Chevrolet followed in second place with 87,137 units, a 113 percent jump, while Ford ranked third with 69,600 (+2.8%) and Hyundai came in fourth at 57,167 (+31.1%).

Among individual models, the Tesla Model Y led the way with 265,085 units, down 8 percent year over year, followed by the Model 3 at 155,180, up 18 percent. Chevrolet’s Equinox EV climbed into third place with 52,834 sales, a massive 390 percent surge.

Ford’s Mustang Mach-E posted 41,962, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 reached 41,091, and the Honda Prologue recorded 36,553. Tesla’s Cybertruck ranked seventh at 25,973, edging out the Ford F-150 Lightning’s 23,034 and Volkswagen’s ID.4 at 22,125. The Chevrolet Blazer EV closed the top ten with 20,825 units.

What Happens Next

With federal incentives now expired, analysts expect a cooldown. “The training wheels are coming off,” said Cox Automotive’s Director of Industry Insights, Stephanie Valdez Streaty. “The federal tax credit was a key catalyst for EV adoption, and its expiration marks a pivotal moment.”

Cox Automotive projects a temporary dip in EV sales through late 2025 and early 2026 before growth steadies again over the long term.

John Halas contributed to this story.

BEST SELLING EVs JAN-SEP 2025

EV BRAND SALES USA 2025

EV MODEL SALES USA 2025

Cox Automotive

Car buyers might be feeling the pinch of limited supply, but Honda’s sales figures show that demand for its lineup remains strong. Together with Acura, the group moved 105,097 vehicles in September, despite tighter inventories across popular models. The real standout was the Passport, which is having its best year ever. On the flip side, Acura’s ZDX, which was recently discontinued after just a single year on the market, struggled.

More: Should The Next Honda Ridgeline Look Like The New Passport?

Total Honda sales reached 95,391 for the month, which is virtually unchanged from last September at just 0.3 percent lower. Looking at the bigger picture, year-to-date deliveries are up 4.1 percent. Passport demand has been a major driver, with sales up 75.5 percent for the year and a striking 108.8 percent for September alone. Nearly 80 percent of buyers are choosing the rugged TrailSport trim, suggesting that Honda’s more adventurous positioning has struck a chord.

SUV Strength

The CR-V continued its domination with over 28,000 sales in September, more than half of which were hybrids, while the Pilot and HR-V chipped in another 20,000 sales combined. On the passenger car side, Honda sold almost 30,000 sedans and coupes in September.

Accord and Civic hybrids made up 47 percent and 36 percent respectively. Electrified models in general set a new monthly record (32,387), thanks in part to the rollout of the Prologue EV.

Acura’s Mixed Bag

Acura, meanwhile, moved 9,706 vehicles in the ninth month of the year. That’s actually a drop in sales year over year of 2.2 percent. The Integra held firm at sales of over 1,500 units. The MDX and RDX combined for over 4,800 deliveries, and the ADX is, according to the brand, “capturing a segment-leading nearly 30% of retail sales”.

On the downside, the ZDX continues to be the white elephant in the lineup, experiencing a 61.3 percent drop in September sales year over year. While that might sound excessive, in cold hard units, that’s a drop from 979 units in 2024 to just 395 this year.

Since the start of the year, Acura has delivered only 11,915 examples. To put that into perspective, Honda has already sold more than three times as many Prologues in the same period. With numbers that lopsided, it is not surprising production of the ZDX has already been cut short.