The new Honda e full electric car will boast an intuitive and advanced full-width digital dashboard when it launches in Europe in 2020.
Complementing its simple and clean exterior styling, the interior of Honda’s new urban electric vehicle uses subtle, contemporary materials, presenting a “relaxing and modern feeling space” once inside.
The full-width digital dashboard consists of five neatly integrated high-resolution colour screens, occupying the entire width of the car’s dashboard. At either end of the dashboard are the Side Camera Mirror System screens which eliminate the need for conventional side mirrors. The digital side mirrors, which can provide a wider view of surroundings, are complemented with the Centre Camera Mirror System display which relays the image from a central rear-facing camera, further increasing the driver’s field of vision.
An 8.8-inch TFT metre instrument display in front of the driver presents key vehicle information including power and charge status, drive mode selected and safety feature details.
The centre piece of the Honda e’s full-width digital dashboard are the dual 12.3-inch LCD touchscreens. These primary infotainment displays can present a range of applications and services. Highly intuitive and fully customisable, the next-generation infotainment system has been designed for “ultimate usability to elevate the car beyond being a means of transportation to become fully integrated into the owner’s modern connected life”.
The interface features familiar smartphone-style usability, with swipe controls to browse recently used applications. Content can easily be swapped across the two screens, enabling the driver to utilise content on both screens with simplicity and ease. This function allows the passenger to swipe content such as navigation instructions into the driver’s eye line. Because the dual screen set-up allows two applications to be displayed side-by-side, the driver and front passenger can independently select and view separate apps. For example, while the driver follows navigation instructions, the front passenger can search for a music playlist.
Connected services and applications can also be accessed using voice commands via Honda Personal Assistant by saying, “OK Honda”, followed by the question or instruction. Machine learning enables the technology to develop a greater understanding of individuals’ voice over time, helping it to deliver more accurate responses.
The comprehensive suite of in-built apps can be supplemented by seamless smartphone mirroring, via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Honda’s new compact electric vehicle is a key part of the brand’s latest commitment to feature electrified technology in 100% of its European sales by 2025. Presented in prototype form at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the first Honda production battery electric vehicle for the European market will make its mass production debut later this year.