Honda starts testing 0 Alpha’s production version in India

The Japanese automaker flagged off the first test mule of the 0 α’s production version from its Indian factory in Tapukara, Rajasthan, on Monday. Despite the heavy camouflage, the shape of the body and the crease lines strongly suggest the final vehicle will look strikingly close to the concept, as company officials hinted at the latter’s world premiere in Tokyo last year.

Key executives from Honda’s Indian team officiated the flag-off ceremony, including Takashi Nakajima, President and CEO; Yujiro Sugino, Director, Marketing & Sales; Kunal Behl, Vice President, Marketing & Sales; and Katsuhiro Kaneda, Senior Vice President & Director, Manufacturing. Toshikazu Hirose, Large Project Leader from Honda’s global team and Chief Engineer for the project, also attended the event, highlighting its importance.

Honda will test prototypes of its first EV for India in cities and on highways, as well as in rough terrains across the country. The company will assess its handling, ride comfort, efficiency, charging performance, durability, and reliability in various real-world conditions, including extreme heat and monsoon. “India has unique driving and climate conditions, and it is important for us to test our electric vehicle thoroughly in real-world environments,” said Nakajima.

On 14 March, Honda met Rajasthan government officials and confirmed plans to begin manufacturing its first EV in India at its Tapukara plant this year. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said that the Japanese automaker is investing 12 billion rupees (approximately €113 million euros) in this project, Asian News International (ANI) reported.

Honda has not announced any technical specifications of the production version of the 0 α. However, based on the details company officials revealed at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, it is clear that the company wants to position the EV in India’s so-called ‘mid-size’ SUV segment and contest it against Maruti Suzuki’s e Vitara, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM)’s Urban Cruiser Ebella, Hyundai’s Creta Electric, and Mahindra & Mahindra’s BE 6.

Hirose said at the show that the wheelbase will measure 2,700-2,800 mm and customers will have a choice of two LFP battery packs, as per an Autocar India report. At the same event, Toshihiro Mibe, Honda’s global President and CEO, revealed that the company will source the cells from CATL’s factory in Indonesia, Express Drives reported. With the 0 SUV and 0 Saloon cancelled, the 0 α will be the first model in the Honda 0 series globally to evolve into a production model.

Honda plans to launch the road-ready version in India in the first quarter of 2027, followed by Japan. According to a report from TopElectricSUV.com, it will launch this EV in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines as well, but not in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, or the U.S. The company will serve all the markets from the Indian plant.

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