Honda’s latest project sees the automaker partnering with its local dealer associations to produce small, electric ride-on vehicles that will be distributed to children’s hospitals throughout the U.S.
The Shogo, which gets its name from a Japanese phrase meaning “soaring into the future,” is a sleek little battery-powered racer that can cruise through the hallways at speeds between 1 and 5 miles per hour. The company said 60 of these vehicles are being built by Honda Performance Development (HPD), which is the center for Honda's North American racing activities.
The Shogo features several unique touches like stop and go paddles on the steering wheel, a handlebar in the back that allows someone to push and an IV pole attachment. HPD used Honda’s original Shogo design to build this more production-ready model that borrows parts like steering shaft washers and front knuckle bearings from a Honda IndyCar and a steering wheel from a Honda go-kart.
Shogo’s horn was also redesigned to play “cheerful sounds” and the VIN tag was laser cut to look like a miniature version of the vehicle.
Aside from all the fun features, Honda’s team also designed the Shogo with soft, smooth surfaces that are easier to keep clean and sterile in a hospital setting.
The original Shogo has been running at Children's Hospital of Orange County in California since 2021 but now more of them are popping up at facilities in Ohio and Indiana. The company said more vehicles will make their way to children's hospitals throughout the country as early as this fall.
Honda is currently gearing up toward EV production in the U.S. and the company said it plans to produce 2 million EVs per year by 2030.
