Honda NeuV concept makes itself available to everyone
Unveiled at CES 2017, Honda's NeuV concept shows what a future ride-sharing vehicle might look like.
Honda brought its NeuV concept to CES 2017, showing off how it thinks future mobility systems could work. The name stands for New Electric Urban Vehicle, and it is intended to address the issue that personal cars sit parked 95 percent of the time.
Honda suggests that the car could be made available to other users when the owner doesn't need it, although it would more likely be a shared fleet service rather than an individually owned car.
Honda designed the NeuV to have great visibility out the front, useful in an urban environment, with pedestrians, bicyclists and other cars.
The NeuV's boxy shape would not offer very good aerodynamics, but as an urban vehicle it wouldn't need to go too fast.
Although Honda isn't specific about the drivetrain, the NeuV is an electric vehicle. Honda touts the fact that it can feed electricity back to the grid when necessary. As such, electric vehicles could serve as de facto energy storage, filling a gap in the grid not currently addressed by power companies.
LED headlights sit behind the transparent fascia.
The NeuV only seats two, although there looks to be ample cargo area in the rear. The doors open scissor-style.
The big screen in front shows what Honda calls the Honda Automated Network Assistant (HANA), which runs an "emotion engine." That means it reacts to what it perceives to be the driver's current state of mind, proactively suggesting music and drive routes. It might even book a therapist appointment.
The side-view cameras actually sit on the sides of the dashboard, and nestle into pods in the door sides, so they remain protected but can still see down the sides of the car.
The cabin looks very roomy, with wide, comfortable seats.
The electric drivetrain means the NeuV can have a flat floor.
The back of the NeuV emphasizes its utilitarian, boxy shape.
Honda included an electric skateboard in the back to serve as last mile transportation.