Next-gen Honda EVs to get simulated gear shifts, engine sounds

At the recently held Honda Automotive Technology Workshop in Tokyo, the Japanese carmaker shared new technical details of its next-generation hybrid and EV platforms. The key takeaway is that even in the EV era, Honda seems to be striving to keep the “joy of driving” alive with its next-gen hybrids and EVs. On the EV front, Honda is working on simulated gear shifts and engine sounds, which will see the light of day with the production version of the Super-ONE prototype that recently debuted at the Japan Mobility Show 2025. 

1. Production-spec Super-ONE to get a simulated 7-speed gearbox 
2. Car to feature a ‘Boost’ mode and simulate ‘kickdown’ during acceleration  
3. It’s set to go on sale in Japan in 2026, followed by other markets 

Next-gen Honda EV platform and technical details

Core to the production version of the Super-ONE prototype will be a lightweight platform with a thin battery pack (along with other heavy mechanical components) placed low and centrally in the vehicle to optimise the centre of gravity. Honda says it has taken learnings on weight reduction from the N Series platform and has also used a widened track to give the car greater stability. Honda claims that the Super-ONE prototype has “one of the lightest bodies in the A-segment” with a centre of gravity lower than similarly sized ICE-powered cars. This should give the compact EV greater dynamic ability around corners. 

More interesting are things like a simulated 7-speed gearbox, a ‘Boost’ mode and also simulated engine sounds. Honda says the simulated gearbox can simulate engine speed and gear position based on driver inputs and driving conditions, including vehicle speed and vehicle behaviour during cornering. It can even simulate the “kickdown” effect experienced with a traditional automatic gearbox under hard acceleration, as well as the feeling of “fuel cut” when fuel injection is temporarily cut off during deceleration. The ‘Boost’ mode, meanwhile, unleashes full power for greater acceleration. 

With these effects, Honda says its EVs will give the feeling of “driving an engine-powered vehicle with a traditional multi-gear transmission”.

When are they hitting the road?

The production version of the Super-ONE prototype is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in 2026, followed by the UK and other Asian markets. Honda says currently these technologies have exclusively been developed for the Super-ONE, but it remains a possibility that these features could also make it to the India-bound 0 Series EVs. 

Now, simulated gear shifts and engine sounds aren’t entirely new in the EV space – Hyundai has already done that with the Ioniq 5 N, which, in our experience, is one of the most fun-to-drive performance EVs available internationally. If this tech makes it to the 0 Series EVs, it could be a clear differentiating factor for Honda EVs in India.