Honda Presenting 3R-C, EV-N Concepts at Geneva Motor Show

Industry observers and visitors at the Geneva Motor Show
were treated to a production version of the Honda FCX Clarity. This fuel-cell
vehicle is currently in testing in Japan, the United States and the European
Union for release in the near future. Honda may be excited about the FCX
Clarity but the bigger splash came from the 3R-C and EV-N concepts. These
concept EVs show Honda’s commitment to improved urban mobility and green
transportation in the future.

The Honda 3R-C pictured above made its first public
appearance at Geneva. The 3R-C features a single seat and a unique body to
protect the driver from side impacts. Honda designed this single-seat concept
with a glass canopy that shifts downward while driving to protect the operator.
When the 3R-C is put into park, the glass canopy shifts upward to allow the
driver to leave and shifts back down to secure the cockpit. The
battery-electric drive system in the 3R-C is placed in the bottom part of the
frame to lower the center of gravity while reducing wasted energy.

Honda seems to be closer to the production stage with the
EV-N shown for the first time in Europe at the show. The EV-N is a small four seater
harkening back to the 1967 Honda N360. This concept would be powered by a
lithium-ion battery pack and small electric motor. Honda installed solar panels
in the EV-N’s roof as a supplementary power source for the drive system.  The passenger and driver doors are outfitted
with U3-X personal mobility devices produced by Honda. These electric-powered
unicycles are intended to reduce barriers to mobility from parking spaces to
destinations.

The future of automotive design seems to be intermingled
with the Honda presentation at Geneva. We tend to focus on a narrow spectrum of
automotive designs with those concepts outside of this spectrum considered
unattractive. This limited view of vehicle design is prevalent especially among
American automotive purists who have criticized city cars and personal mobility
vehicles like the Segway. The 3R-C and the EV-N may not be hitting streets
anytime soon but they help us find the current boundaries of transportation
technology. We should embrace challenges to preconceived notions about automotive
design in the same way a select few embraced hybrid technology only a decade
ago.

njkaters | My Bio & Articles

Nick Katers is a freelance writer based out of Milwaukee, WI. He has written business profiles for TrenchMice and interviewed entrepreneurs and leaders for The Internationalist Magazine. Katers holds a Masters in American History ...