Honda is no stranger to pushing technology boundaries when it comes to powertrains, and the company gave us a brief drive of its new electrified platform, the Honda Zero, which made its debut at CES last year .

For years, Honda has relied on hybrids — not so much EVs — to drive its electrified mission. All of that is about to change with the Honda 0 Series, a portfolio of new electric vehicles that will go into production over the next several years.

CEO Toshihiro Mibe previews Honda's coming line of 0 Series electric vehicles at an all-day briefing and test drive in Japan, revealing new specifications and manufacturing techniques that he says will be key to the carmaker's survival in the EV age.

Honda let us take a 0 Series prototype out for a few laps of a test track at its R&D center in Tochigi. There were two prototypes present: one wore the body of a CR-V while the other was a short-wheelbase Accord (a car that looks snazzy as heck in black with Type S wheels and wide fenders, by the way), but I only got to pilot the CR-V.

We sample Honda’s upcoming 0 Series EV models as they take shape in Japan, from software to powertrain and everything in between

Honda says that by emphasizing “thin, light, and wise,” it aims to transcend the constraints of having an EV be a “thick and heavy” vehicle. Too often, thick battery packs with bulky cooling systems and body structures intended to meet sedans and SUVs in the middle amount to packaging that doesn’t work so well for anything at the extremes.

Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe gives his views on how the new 0 Series models will mould the brand's electric future

No, what you’re looking at is not an upcoming Honda Accord Type R. The car does have an Accord body (although one with flared fenders), darker headlights and taillights along with 20-inch wheels, but it’s actually a prototype of the Japanese automaker’s next-generation electric vehicle,

These prototypes hint at the wild driving dynamics and tech coming to future Honda EVs. Honda showed an intriguing pair of electric vehicle concepts earlier this year, part of the pending 0 Series family upon which it is staking much of its future.