The next generation of Honda electric vehicles will offer simulated gear shifts along with engine sounds.

Honda recently organised an Automotive Technology Workshop in Tokyo, where the Japanese manufacturer shared interesting technical details of their next-generation hybrid and EV architecture. The interesting part is that even in the EV times, Honda is working hard to retain the DNA of “Joy of Driving” towards making their next generation EV and hybrid cars. 

Honda is working on the development of simulated gear shifts and engine sounds which will be integrated into the final production model of the Super-One prototype that was recently unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show 2025. 

Next-Generation Honda EV Architecture and Technical Details

The Super-One prototype will be underpinned by Honda’s lightweight architecture integrated with a thin battery pack, along with the addition of heavy mechanical components which will be placed a bit lower and centrally in the vehicle in order to enhance the center of gravity. 

According to Honda, they have taken notes on weight reduction from the N Series platform and have used a broad track to give a greater stability to the car, especially at high speeds. Honda has also confirmed that their Super-One prototype has “One of the lightest bodies in the A-Segment” with low center of gravity as compared to the ICE-powered cars of similar size. 

There will also be an addition of a simulated 7-speed gearbox, a ‘Boost’ mode, and integration of simulated engine sounds. As per Honda, the simulated gearbox will be able to generate engine sounds and gear position based on driver inputs and driving conditions, which also includes vehicle speed and vehicle driving pattern during cornering. 

It can even produce the “Kickdown” effect experienced in conventional automatic gearbox specifically during hard acceleration, as well a simulated feeling of “fuel cut” similarly when fuel injection is temporarily cut off during acceleration. 

The ‘Boost’ Mode provides extra power for faster acceleration. The company says that with these effects, their EVs will give a traditional feeling of driving an engine-powered vehicle integrated with a traditional setup. 

When are they Hitting the Road?

The close-to-production version of the Super-ONE prototype will be launched in Japan in 2026, followed by the UK and other Asian markets. According to Honda, currently these technologies are exclusively developed for the Super-ONE only, but there are still speculations whether these technologies will make it to the India-based 0 series EVs. 

However, simulated gear shots and engine sounds are not entirely new in the EV industry as Hyundai has already incorporated this into their Ioniq 5 N, which is one of the most fun-to-drive EVs available today in the global markets. If this technology is implemented to the 0 Series EVs, then it would be a clear differentiating feature for the Honda EVs in India, attracting the constantly-rising EV enthusiasts.