Honda R&D
President’s Award
What is Honda R&D President’s Award?
Honda R&D President’s Award is the most prestigious award presented by Honda R&D, and was established for the purpose of actively encouraging Honda R&D personnel to tackle new challenges. For Honda R&D to continue offering value to society, the challenging issues to take on could span a broad range, including the need for innovative and unique inventions, technological innovations, raising brand value, raising efficiency, and promoting optimization. We are glad to now present to you, with praise for their achievements, the winners of the Honda R&D President’s Award, who each boldly tackled challenges for paving the way for the future and succeeded in creating value in a dramatic way.
2025
Next-Generation BEV Research
As the electrification of vehicles progresses globally, widespread adoption of electric vehicles depends on addressing three key issues simultaneously: extending range, reducing charging times, and realizing affordable prices.
While pursuing both longer range and lower cost through our independently developed all-solid-state batteries, our goal has been to highlight the appeal of every car that we produce without detracting from that appeal in any way, for example, through vehicle dynamic performance. We are also developing a platform designed to deliver performance across a wide range of vehicles, from affordable B-segment hatchbacks to C-segment SUVs. This research project has contended with challenges that were difficult to overcome, and while significantly increasing the competitiveness of BEVs—set to be Honda’s flagship vehicles in the 2030s—at the same time, it has evolved the vehicle dynamic performance that is at the heart of our brand.
These accomplishments support Honda’s long-term vision of aiming for 100% electrification by 2040, and coincide with the project being selected to receive the President’s Award as an embodiment of “the challenging spirit” that Honda cherishes.
2024
Establishment of the basic technology making it possible to install motorcycle airbags on popularly-priced models
Towards the goals of shaping society with zero traffic fatalities and promoting progress in motorcycle safety technologies, a truly innovative basic system for rider protection at the time of a collision was developed.
Based on an analysis of motorcycle riding conditions and riders’ movements upon collision accident occurrence, a newly-designed airbag system was established through advanced design methods and careful examination processes. With high-level protection performance expected, the system comprises the basic technology leading to its installation on many popularly-priced models, substantially contributing to the materialization of Honda’s long-term vision.
Creation of the Honda 0 Series concept models
As the concept models embodying the unique originality befitting Honda in this age of battery electric vehicles (BEV), the SALOON-Concept and the SPACE-HUB Concept models have been created.
The concept models were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in the U.S. in 2024, and received the Red Dot Design Award - Best of the Best, one of the most prestigious design awards in the world. Created by going back to basics of the design philosophy that has been passed on over the years at Honda, the concept models boast unique stylings not seen before and offer new innovative value, thereby considerably contributing to increasing brand recognition for the Honda 0 Series.
Designer Interview