Honda’s magnificent seven

Honda will be showing off seven concepts - and one curiously named “concept series” - at the Tokyo Motor Show next month and one of them is neither car nor bike. It is the Townwalker, an urban mobility concept - but, handily, it can be folded up and put in the back of the car, which could well be one of Honda’s three new concepts.

The Small Sports EV Concept is a compact electric sports car which promises to be a fun ride and the Micro Commuter Concept is a tiddler of a city car which will feature the Motor Compo electric commuter bike slotted into it. The Motor Compo, with a detachable battery that can be used as a power source off the road, will also be launched at the Tokyo show.

Possibly the one concept car that may have a sporting chance of making it to the showrooms sooner rather than later is the AC-X, a plug in hybrid with “engine driving mode” for more spirited driving and the “automatic drive mode” for when you want to take it easy.

As well as the Motor Compo, Honda is launching two other motorbike concepts in Tokyo. The E-Canopy is a three-wheeled electric scooter which can have a rear trunk added for luggage or for a business to use for deliveries.

The RC-E should attract some admiring glances - it is an electric version of a supersports bike with a 250cc-class compact body. They could be on the track in the MotoGPs of the future.

As well as these seven machines, Honda will also show off the ‘N Concept’ - they’re not saying too much about this, save that it’s “a new mini vehicle series” that emphasises the use of space and the first production model in the series will be the N BOX.

Production-ready versions of the Accord, Insight, Jazz and CR-Z will be on display as well as such motorbikes as the NC700S, Integra and NC700X, equipped with Honda’s new global 670cc motorcycle engine. Also on display will be the production model of the CRF250L, an on- and off-road bike.

As a part of “SMART MOBILITY CITY 2011”, a project that Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association will hold at the event, Honda will showcase the FCX Clarity advanced fuel cell electric vehicle, EV-neo electric scooter and the EV-MONPAL electric cart. They will also show off the Honda Smart Home System which features several Honda-developed energy production technologies, including a gas engine cogeneration unit and a solar-powered system to cut household and mobility CO2 emissions.

www.honda.co.uk






Small Sports EV






AC-X









N Box



Motor Compo



E-Canopy



TownWalker



RC-E


By Georgia Lewis

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