When it comes to car names, it doesn’t get much more straightforward than this. Unveiled in Monterey, California, the Acura Performance EV Concept is a design study that was built as a preview of an upcoming high-performance Acura model powered by an electric drivetrain.
Look beyond some of the more futuristic styling cues, such as doors without exterior handles, and the Performance EV Concept isn’t all that far from production. It features a pointed front end, a long wheelbase, and a fastback-like roofline reminiscent of the original ZDX released for 2010. You’re on to something if you find the front end boat-like: Acura claims its designers were inspired by hydrofoil superyachts.
Acura hasn’t released technical specifications, so there’s no word yet on what’s under the body. All we know at this stage is that the concept is entirely electric — it doesn’t sound like a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid system will be available — and that it’s built on a new platform that the brand is currently developing in-house. That’s a big change because the new ZDX, Acura’s first EV, rides on a platform provided by General Motors.
More details about Acura’s Performance EV Concept will emerge in the coming months as the crossover makes the transition from a concept to a production car. The final model is scheduled to make its debut by the end of 2025, and it will be built by parent company Honda in Ohio. That’s not as unusual as it might seem: Honda is based in Japan, but it began building Acura models in the U.S. nearly 30 years ago.
Looking ahead, some of the styling cues that characterize the Performance EV Concept will trickle down to other electric models that Acura has in the pipeline. “As with our previous Acura concept vehicles, the Performance EV Concept introduces a number of design themes that will be seen on future Acura vehicles,” promised Dave Marek, the company’s design executive, in a statement. In other words: Wait and see.
