Honda 3R-C concept

The 3-RC is a single seat, three-wheeled, zero emission urban concept vehicle which occupies the space between a car and a motorbike. Overall form is dictated by the seating position of its rider - similar to that of a scooter rider, with feet forwards and knees together. The body divides into a series of elements, a central spine consisting of the nose and canopy, a lower body area which wraps around the driver providing weather and impact protection, which together sit on top of the encased drivetrain, with single rear wheel, and twin front wheels lying outside of the footprint of the upper passenger 'capsule'.

With the canopy closed, the 3R-C takes on a much more distinctive and attractive form - the rounded central section, flanked by car-like lights, rising sharply from the nose, up over the instrument panel, where its surfaces is continued uninterrupted by the clear canopy, tapering toward the rear. When closed like this, the 3R-C has a much less scooter-like aesthetic, adopting instead a much lower, accelerative stance - reminiscent of the type and form of future vehicle depicted by many sci-fi films. Viewed thus, the 3-RC feels fittingly futuristic and new - although its three-wheel form and white colour scheme endow it with a certain 'son of Aptera' appearance from certain angles.

It is interesting to see Honda using its strong pedigree in both cars and bikes to explore products like this. It is easy to categorize the 3R-C as a bike initially, largely thanks to the motorbike wheels - but the enclosed mechanicals and treatment of surfaces and details sits more in the automotive realm. Overall it complements the other vehicles Honda showed here - the EV-N, U3-X and FCX Clarity - which when judged together, suggest that the manufacturer is looking at the wider future of personal transportation, one that goes beyond simply fitting an electric battery into a standard automotive package.