Honda Employs Advanced High-Strength Steel in New Kei Car Design
08/20/2018 - Honda has begun selling a kei car called the N-Van, and it has a novel feature: it lacks a left-side center pillar.
As the online Japan Today publication reports, it's a feature made possible by advanced high-strength steel. According to the publication, Honda was able to do away with the pillar by using 1.5 GPa steel in the front and rear door frames. The doors, when shut, mesh together, forming a bulwark that does the work of the pillar.
Honda began selling the vehicle in July.
Japan Today has more here.
