Among major automakers, Honda has been something of an anomaly. Amid the posturing and the grand pronouncements of others, Honda has kept whatever plans it has for autonomous vehicles to itself. That may start to change at the CES show next month in Las Vegas. Today, Honda has provided a glimpse of its concept for the show, a vehicle that lies at the heart of what, in a prolific arrangement of industry buzzwords, it dubs a ?cooperative mobility ecosystem.?
Known as the NeuV, the concept combines autonomous technology and an electric powertrain, two qualities that most automakers foresee as necessary for operating in urban centers in the years ahead. Inside the vehicle, an artificial-intelligence tool that enables machines to generate their own emotions will create ?new possibilities for human interaction and new value for customers,? according to Honda. As the preview photo of the NeuV shows, it appears to be a cross between a miniaturized Honda Element and a Smart Fortwo. Or maybe a handheld vacuum and a hot-air popcorn popper.
The vehicle contains a steering wheel, which would suggest the company foresees a future in which human motorists will retain at least some role in the driving process. Regardless, the company says it intends to put highly automated vehicles on U.S. roads by 2020.

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