Honda Alpha EV heads to India after 0 Series overhaul

Honda will premiere the Alpha electric vehicle in India on 2 December, with production planned at its Tapukara plant in Rajasthan, as the 0 Series name gives way to a model aimed at India and selected export markets.

The Alpha carries forward the third production-intent vehicle in Honda’s 0 Series family, following the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV unveiled at CES 2025.

Honda cancelled the production versions of those two models in March. It will proceed with the third, originally designated 0 α, but without the “0” in the name. The change effectively ends the 0 Series nomenclature.

What changes without the 0 Series name?

Honda says the production version should look close to the 0 α concept, with a swoopy, futuristic design inspired by the larger 0 SUV.

Testing prototypes indicate an interior different from the models Honda manufactures in India. The dashboard combines a visibly large, tablet-like touchscreen infotainment display with a fully digital instrument cluster, or driver gauge display.

Honda compares the Alpha’s size and positioning with its global HR-V.

Where will the Alpha be built, and where will its cells come from?

The project centers on Honda’s Tapukara, Rajasthan, factory, currently the company’s only operating car plant in India. Honda began local public-road testing in March and later extended the program to Japan.

Honda plans two LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery-pack options. Kompas.com reported in a paywalled article that the cells will come from CATL’s new plant in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia. Honda has not disclosed cell volumes, contract value or delivery timing.

Toshikazu Hirose, Large Project Leader on Honda’s global team and chief engineer for the project, said the Alpha will have “a wheelbase somewhere between 2,700 and 2,800 mm,” according to Autocar India.

That range fits Honda’s comparison with the global HR-V, although the information available provides no figures for output, investment or timing beyond the December premiere.

What does this change for Honda’s India operations?

For Honda’s India operations, the Alpha replaces the cancelled 0 Saloon and 0 SUV programs with a production plan tied to Tapukara. Honda has not disclosed a capacity increase, investment, employment figure or start-of-production date, so the plan’s effect on output remains unquantified.

A December premiere and a designated assembly location do not establish manufacturing scale. The difference matters to suppliers because a production designation and a confirmed production volume are different commitments.

Which markets does the Alpha target?

A Honda spokesperson told TopElectricSUV.com at the 0 α debut last year that the company “plans to build the final version in India in both left- and right-hand drive versions.” Honda’s stated export plan also covers Japan and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The same spokesperson said there is “no plan to introduce this model in North America, Europe, Australia, or New Zealand.” Those remain stated intentions, and the announcement details provide no market-by-market sales dates.

What should readers watch after December 2?

• The production start date and the capacity Honda allocates to the Alpha at Tapukara; neither appears in the information provided.
• Final pack specifications and whether the Indonesian cell supply matches Honda’s two planned LFP options.
• Sales-launch timing for India and Japan, followed by Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
• Any move to serve North America, Europe, Australia or New Zealand, which the spokesperson said the company does not plan to include.

CATL’s Indonesia supply link still comes from a secondary report, and the export commitments rest on a spokesperson’s statement. The December 2 debut is set. The production scale is not.