On January 10, 2024, at CES in Las Vegas, Honda unveiled the Honda 0 Series, marking the brand’s entry into a new era of electric mobility. Guided by the design and development principles of Thin, Light, and Wise, the Honda 0 Series represents more than the launch of a new EV lineup—it signals Honda’s ambition to integrate electric vehicles into the everyday lives of its users and redefine the future of mobility itself.

But Honda 0 is more than a collection of vehicles. It is a holistic ecosystem—a vision that extends beyond cars to encompass digital experiences, infrastructure, and connected services. As part of this transformation, Honda initiated a complete redevelopment of its connected application ecosystem, preparing it to support the brand’s next-generation EV strategy.

Working in close partnership with Honda and key collaborators, and as the project’s Design Lead, my task was to lead our creative team in shaping a next-generation connected app concept, code-named Honda ConnectX. Positioned as the foundation for Honda’s next chapter, ConnectX is designed to be the digital backbone of the Honda 0 experience—bringing the principles of Thin, Light, and Wise to life in a way that connects people, vehicles, and technology.

Before shaping the new ConnectX concept, I first needed a clear understanding of Honda’s existing CONNECT ecosystem from a competitive perspective. Together with our collaborators, we conducted two independent studies—one in Japan and one in Western markets (U.S./EU)—using public pricing, application footprints, owner feedback, and competitive teardown.

The findings were consistent across regions: Honda trails leading peers on perceived value, adoption, and price realization. In particular, many users—especially in Western markets—perceive the current ecosystem as fragmented and providing insufficient value, resulting in a depressed price point for Honda that sits below both incumbent OEMs (including Japanese competitors such as Toyota and Nissan, and foreign competitors such as BMW and Volvo) and leading EV brands (such as Tesla, Rivian, BYD, and X-PENG). This value gap has become a key constraint on Honda’s growth.

With connected applications and services playing a critical role in car-purchase decisions, these gaps represent both a challenge and a major opportunity—especially as OEMs increasingly treat software as a primary growth engine. Our scenario modeling showed that bringing Honda to feature and price parity (POP) with major OEM leaders and competitors could double current revenue.

However, we aimed beyond parity. In the era of EVs and connected experiences, differentiation no longer comes only from the vehicle itself—it can also come from the connected ecosystem. Brands like Tesla and BYD have already demonstrated this dynamic. When modeled using the average adoption rate and price point observed among leading brands, our simulation indicated a potential 9× revenue improvement over the current status quo. As a result, I set a bolder objective for our creative team and Honda’s leadership: to transform Honda’s connected ecosystem from a basic set of services into a Point of Differentiation (POD).

To create a true point of differentiation, I began by rethinking the role of mobility itself. Traditionally, mobility is seen simply as transportation from Point A to Point B. I believe it is more: a mode of connection—linking people to opportunities, dreams, and memories that enrich their lives.

Honda’s next-generation connected ecosystem should reflect this vision, serving as a digital companion that connects users to life-enhancing experiences rather than merely enabling travel. This direction aligns with the broader Honda 0 vision and its three guiding pillars—Thin, Light, and Wise—ensuring the app becomes a core part of Honda’s next chapter in electric mobility.

With the direction for Honda ConnectX defined, my first strategic priority was to address the biggest source of user friction within the current Honda CONNECT ecosystem: app fragmentation across markets.

Independent surveys and data analysis revealed widespread frustration among existing Honda users, who often had to juggle multiple applications to access functions that competitors offered in a single platform. Historically, Honda’s multi-app approach was intended to reduce development costs and enable flexible pricing. In practice, however, it produced the opposite effect. Our analysis of operating data and cost lines indicated that maintaining separate apps across the three major markets not only drove higher development and management costs, but also created confusion for users—from managing multiple logins and payment plans to navigating inconsistent experiences. Attempts to offset this friction through lower pricing only further eroded perceived value.

To resolve these issues, our team proposed a unified “one-stop” structure, consolidating the entire ecosystem into a single next-generation application—code-named ConnectX. This approach aligns with established best practices in the automotive industry and positions Honda to deliver a simpler, more cohesive connected experience while reducing operational complexity and cost.

Merging multiple apps into a single Honda ConnectX platform required a ground-up redesign—not only to consolidate existing functions, but to present them through a structure that feels logical and meaningful in everyday use. Reflecting how people actually interact with their vehicles, I organized the experience into three phases—Pre-Trip, Mid-Trip, and Post-Trip—so each moment is supported by the right information and the right tools at the right time.

This phase-based framework allowed our team to sharpen priorities in each stage, focus on functions that deliver the most value, and create space for differentiated capabilities to evolve over time. It also provided a clear foundation to embed ASIMO Assistant—an AI component within the broader ASIMO OS—into the moments where it is most helpful, ensuring the intelligence feels integrated, purposeful, and consistently valuable across the journey.

The Pre-Trip phase is the most information-intensive and most frequently used stage of the ConnectX experience. Here, users check essential vehicle status—such as remaining range and charging progress—prepare the car (pre-conditioning the cabin or optimizing charging cycles), and plan routes. It is also the phase where many competitors concentrate their connected features, requiring substantial focus to meet point-of-parity expectations while still shaping a distinct Honda experience.

To support these needs, and aligned with our creative principles, my team and I surfaced critical status information—each vehicle’s real-time condition—directly on the home screen for immediate visibility, while keeping priority settings within easy reach (e.g., typically within two taps). Every screen follows a clean, intuitive layout aligned with our design principles and the Honda 0 pillars of Thin, Light, and Wise, making the experience approachable and confidence-building regardless of technical expertise.

While AI can create meaningful user benefit and differentiation, introducing it without a clear role risks adding complexity, confusion, and unnecessary cost. For this reason, I defined the role of ASIMO Assistant around concrete user needs—particularly where automation and guidance materially reduce effort and decision load.

Within the Pre-Trip phase, ASIMO Assistant plays two roles that work in tandem:
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1) Smart Controller — automatically optimizes vehicle readiness, from charging cycles to cabin conditioning, so users gain the benefits without needing technical know-how.
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2) Smart Planner — helps users shape trips in flexible ways, from revisiting past journeys and memories to refining routes for efficiency and convenience. By using past trip data as a reference point, ASIMO reinforces ConnectX’s positioning—turning what users have experienced into new ideas, plans, and opportunities.

By embedding ASIMO directly into the Pre-Trip flow, ConnectX transforms routine preparation into a more personal and intelligent experience—one that reflects Honda’s vision for connected mobility and establishes a clear point of differentiation against competing ecosystems.

The Mid-Trip phase is often the most underdeveloped part of connected ecosystems, largely due to safety constraints and regulatory complexity—making it a meaningful opportunity for ConnectX to differentiate. I wanted to capitalize on this gap by treating Mid-Trip as a distinct driving context, rather than extending Pre-Trip patterns into the vehicle.

Because Mid-Trip demands a fundamentally different approach, we introduced a dedicated operating mode called Synchronization. This smart connectivity layer turns the user’s smartphone or tablet into an extension of any Honda 0 and connected model, enabling safer, more usable interactions while driving. Through in-vehicle connectivity, ConnectX links the device with the vehicle’s infotainment and dashboard systems, coordinating capabilities across speakers, sensors, and cameras. This integration expands what each platform can do: drivers can access key in-car functions through their personal device—including functions traditionally limited to infotainment—while the infotainment remains focused on critical driving surfaces and freed to support additional in-vehicle needs.

In Synchronization Mode, voice and sound become the primary interaction model—with touch as a fallback—reducing cognitive load and supporting a regulation-conscious experience aligned with GSR, JAMA, and NHTSA guidance. Beyond comfort and safety today, this foundation also supports Honda’s longer-term roadmap toward smarter driving and higher levels of autonomy (Level 4–5).

In the Post-Trip phase, user needs shift from preparation to review—understanding vehicle condition and making timely decisions about care. My focus here was to translate trip data into actionable insight rather than raw reporting. Analytics provide a detailed snapshot of each journey—covering travel costs, driving style, and real-time vehicle conditions—helping users anticipate maintenance needs and make informed decisions.

Benchmarking driving behavior also supports long-term value: it allows ConnectX to remain useful beyond a single vehicle cycle, reinforcing the app as an ongoing companion that helps users improve habits and maintain confidence even as they transition to future Honda models.

Outside the three primary phases, ConnectX offers features designed to inspire exploration and strengthen brand engagement. Users can browse curated trip reports from trusted Honda correspondents around the globe, discovering destinations and travel ideas to enrich their Honda life.

Interactive simulations also let users digitally experience other Honda models, keeping interest in the brand active and encouraging ongoing connection with the broader Honda ecosystem.

At CES 2025, in partnership with multiple Honda teams, we validated early product-market reception through live observation, quantitative surveys, and in-depth interviews. The results showed measurable improvement across key dimensions—most notably brand sentiment shifting toward a more lifestyle-led perception, and brand premium strengthening perceived value—together translating into a materially higher willingness to pay (approximately 3× versus baseline).

We also observed meaningful gains across major customer decision drivers, bringing ConnectX’s perceived experience closer to the standards set by leading EV brands.

Great products are never built in isolation—behind every successful launch is a team of dedicated individuals bringing their expertise, passion, and collaboration to the table. I’m deeply grateful to every project member who contributed to the creation of Honda ConnectX. This achievement would not have been possible without your commitment and vision.