Acura is going electric and its EV-powered future starts with the ZDX SUV. Debuting this year at Monterey Car Week, the electric ZDX uses a General Motors Ultium platform that gives it 340 horsepower and an estimated 325 miles of range in the base model, with the powerful Type S model offering 500 hp and around 288 miles of range.
With the arrival of the ZDX, and more specifically the first battery-powered Type S model, it's safe to say that Acura isn't shying away from performance in the EV age. Executives have all but confirmed the possibility of a new NSX EV.
Acura Vice President and Brand Officer Jon Ikeda, in an interview with The Drive from 2021, stated, "The first-gen was gas. Second-gen was a hybrid. There's gonna be another [NSX]." Hopefully that pure electric successor isn't too far off.
What Will It Look Like?
The Performance Electric Vision Concept, which the company announced at Monterey Car Week alongside the ZDX, is our best look yet at a proposed NSX EV. As Acura's Executive Creative Director Dave Marek notes, this concept previews the "future of Acura Precision Crafted Performance in the EV era."
From what we can see in these shadowy teaser images, the iconic NSX shape remains. The pointed front end has slim lighting accents that stretch the width of the bumper, with vertical headlights at each corner akin to Acura's IMSA Prototype racer, and an illuminated Acura badge on the hood. There's a matching light bar in the rear that extends across the bumper, with an illuminated ACURA wordmark beaneath it – all of it in a funky neon green lighting (which probably won't make it to production).
Our rendering artist used those images to bring the Acura NSX EV to life virtually (even though it wears Honda badges, as the supercar will outside of the US). The rendering pictured here takes the Performance Electric Vision concept's design cues and combines them with a sleek, sporty body with sharp lines reminiscent of the outgoing model.
What’s Under The "Hood?"
There are two possible powertrain options here. The first possibility is that Acura maintains its relationship with General Motors and the two automakers develop a shared EV sports car platform. An electric Corvette with GM's Ultium technology is rumored to happen within the next decade, which means the electric 'Vette and an electric NSX could theoretically share performance bits.
The other less likely option is that Acura develops its own EV platform for the NSX. Either way, this car would need to be more powerful than the version it replaces. The previous NSX hybrid had 520 hp to start, with the Type S model notching that number up to 600. The NSX EV could theoretically have 600 hp out of the box with a Type S model adding more power down the line.
We should expect four electric motors (one on each wheel) and an estimated 0-60 mile-per-hour time of less than three seconds. The outgoing NSX Type S, for reference, could reach 60 mph in just under three seconds with launch control activated.
What Kind Of Tech Will It Have?
Acura introduced a new Google-based infotainment system on the ZDX with EV-specific features like Google Maps with optimized route planning and information about chargers and estimated charging times. It also features the ability to download third-party apps for things like music, podcasts, and audiobooks, and of course, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. This new infotainment system should make its way to all Acura EVs in the future, which could include the NSX.
When Will We See It?
Don’t expect the Acura NSX EV to arrive within the next year (or even two). It took Acura nearly nine years to put the second-generation NSX into production after announcing it back in 2007. Hopefully we won’t have to wait that long for a new one, but so far, Acura has only shared a few teasers of what could eventually become the new NSX EV.
