No GM Ultium here. Acura’s next EV shows up in 2025 and it will be made in Ohio on Honda’s own first-ever modern electric platform.
- The Acura Precision EV Concept is planned to enter production in 2025.
- It uses an EV platform developed by Honda itself, unlike the Acura ZDX which uses the GM Ultium platform.
- It is expected to be one of the first models made at Honda’s Ohio-based EV hub.
Sleek, smooth and electric—three words that encapsulate Acura’s latest concept. Debuting at this year’s Monterey Car Week, Acura’s dropping the lowdown on its EV concept. Oh, and unlike the ZDX currently in its showrooms, this one’s a homegrown affair: no GM Ultium stuff. It’s a preview of what’s to come from Honda’s (and Acura’s) self-developed EV efforts, both design-wise and technologically speaking.
On its face, this matter-of-factly named Acura Performance EV Concept crossover is something Acura says is an “exciting performance SUV developed by the Acura Design Studio in Los Angeles.” While the ZDX is effectively a Chevy Blazer wearing the styling of Acura’s current crop of gas-powered crossovers, the Acura Performance EV Concept takes a more mindful approach. Gone are the harsh striations, and remnants of Acura’s beak-like grille that adorn the MDX and new Integra. Instead, this concept is smooth and rakish. The body still looks aggressive; the vented hood and intense side surfacing portray that thoroughly. But it’s done in a way that feels upscale. Acura says the front fascia of the car is inspired of the “high-tech form and function of hydrofoil superyachts.”
At the rear of the car, there’s no Acura logo, but a full-width taillight bar and Acura script running the width of the concept’s rear end. Along with the rear diffuser, Acura says the Performance EV Concept is meant to pay homage to the original NSX. The whole body is finished in a semi-matte Moonlit White Pearl, putting a bow on top of the Performance EV Concept’s neue-luxe aesthetic.
Of course, this is a concept, so the proportions are definitely otherworldly. Those 23-inch wheels are wrapped in 295/35R23 tires, which are very big and wide, even for a modern design-busting EV. I’m not sure if the huge wheels, tiny greenhouse and tall stance would make for much in the way of interior room for the Performance EV Concept. But, Acura says it’s merely a preview of what future EV Acuras will look like. Acura’s last EV concept, the Precision EV Concept, which also debuted at Monterey Car Week, ended up becoming the GM Ultium-based ZDX. The concept and its production model kind of look similar, but there were plenty of changes made to the design before it reached sale.
The Performance EV Concept’s electronic guts are arguably the most important details. Acura hasn’t been specific with range, power or battery tech, but it has announced that this is the first model that will be made with its own self-developed EV technology. A production version of the car will go on sale in 2025, and be made at Honda’s EV hub in Ohio. Currently, its Ohio plant is in the final stages of retooling to manufacture its EVs and EV components. This $4.4 billion investment is expected to be up and running by the end of 2024.
The Acura Performance EV Concept will debut publicly at The Quail on August 16, then stay on the Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance on August 18.
