FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Honda Urban EV Concept

Forget super cars, hot hatches and SUV coupes – the star of the Honda stand at this year’s biggest and most important motor show (Frankfurt) was a compact electric vehicle.

How the times have changed.

The Honda Urban EV Concept sports a funky retro look which has a little bit of French hot hatch about it.

It will likely morph into a slightly less exciting production car by 2019 says Honda. Not clear at this stage is the Urban EV Concept's impact on the brand's hydrogen fuel-cell push, epitomised by the Honda Clarity car.

The company insists its new EV onslaught will "strengthen the development of electric vehicles (battery EV) in addition to fuel cell vehicles (FCV)".

Nevertheless, the 'Betamax vs VHS' that is now 'Hydrogen vs EV' struggle looks to be shifting in favour of EVs.

EVs sell in far superior numbers to hydrogen fuel cell cars because they're cheaper to buy and run. Furthermore, the refuelling/recharging infrastructure is more abundant on a global scale and requires less investment and complexity.

It's understood Honda is about to embark on an electrification adventure which will see more and more models go full EV or hybrid.

Like several other manufacturers, the company is expected to soon announce its bold vision for the future, including the proliferation of both plug-in hybrid systems, full EV models and, eventually, zero-emission fuel cell vehicles.

Hip and happening Honda Urban EV
Meanwhile, the Urban EV concept won't win any awards for creative naming, but it ushers in a new EV era for Honda and is the first of many EVs expected from the Japanese car maker.

Based on an entirely new platform, the new compact EV is slightly smaller than the Honda Jazz and will likely be sold across global markets, although powertrain specifics are not yet clear. The company says the vehicle will take advantage of a high-density, lightweight battery pack but, without knowing how many kilowatt hours it supports, it's tricky to know the cruising range.

To remain competitive, the Urban EV will need a range between 300km and 400km in order to take on the likes of the new 2018 Nissan LEAF.

It’s not yet clear which parts of the concept car will carry over to the production version in 2019, but we certainly hope the interactive display screen between the headlights will be retained. Imagine being able to tell other drivers "you lack courtesy" or "your headlights are off"?

Honda Motor Company president, Mr Takahiro Hachigo, introduced the EV concept in Frankfurt.

"This is not some vision of the distant future; a production version of this car will be here in Europe in 2019," he said, confirming the vehicle's initial target market.

It's not clear if the vehicle will be coming Down Under, and motoring.com.au understands that Honda Australia is currently investigating its potential.

Some of its features include rear-hinging 'coach' doors for easy access and conventional seating for four.

The driver and front passenger are confronted by a huge panoramic display screen which wraps into the doors. And side mirrors are ditched, replaced by tiny cameras which feed rearward images into the massive wrap-around instrument/infotainment display.

Honda also revealed the CR-V hybrid SUV in Frankfurt, another electrified vehicle aimed at European buyers. It's not yet clear if the hybrid Honda CR-V will be offered in Australia.

"We're looking at it, but it's not currently available out of our Thai plant," said Neil McDonald, public relations manager for Honda Australia.

"Apart from sourcing, there's a lot of work to be done on exactly how a CR-V hybrid fits into the product strategy. That said, we are always looking at various opportunities going forward, but there also needs to be a robust business case."