Honda‘s game-changing new tech will have a huge effect on how your car looks

Japanese brand trumps the Germans as it is set to debut ground breaking new technology that produces game changing results.

Honda is set to become the first brand to replace side mirrors with cameras as standard fitment on a mainstream model.

The soon-to-be-unveiled Honda e electric car will not have regular mirrors, instead fitting stubby cameras on either side of the car that send live images to twin 6.0-inch screens inside the vehicle.

Honda claims the small housing for the cameras reduces drag by 90 per cent, in turn translating to a 3.8 per cent efficiency improvement that means the car can travel further between charges.

Replacing side mirrors with cameras will reduce drag dramatically.

There are also two driver-selectable views, normal and wide, each providing a wider field of vision than a traditional camera, the latter claimed to reduce blind spots by 50 per cent.

The camera housing has also been designed to send water around the lenses and there is a water-repellent coating on the lenses as a final deterrent against droplets distorting the camera’s view.

The shift to use cameras instead of mirrors reinforces a trend that’s been brewing in the land of concept cars for decades.

Honda e is set to go on sale in Europe shortly.

The radical Holden Hurricane concept of 1969 had no rear vision mirrors, instead using a rear-facing camera and a rudimentary screen inside the car.

Hundreds of motor show concept cars since have eschewed side mirrors for cameras, claiming efficiency benefits as well as reduced wind noise and styling improvements.

In 2013 Volkswagen released its quirky XL1, which went into limited production with cameras instead of side mirrors.

And Audi’s upcoming e-Tron electric SUV is shaping up to be the first production car to debut the technology in Australia when it goes on sale in 2020. But the cameras are expected to be offered as an optional extra.

The shift towards side vision cameras is expected to accelerate as car makers chase efficiency gains in the face of tightening global emissions standards.

Honda e will maintain the cool retro styling from the concept.

The Honda e is a pure electric car capable of about 200km between charges.

It was previewed as the Urban EV concept car in 2017 and was earlier this year shown as the Honda e Prototype, maintaining the overall design theme of the concept but with smaller wheels and more production-ready elements, such as door handles.

While Honda was one of the pioneers of hybrid cars in Australia, it has since stepped back from the eco technology in all but the NSX supercar, instead turning its focus to reviving the fortunes of its mainstream models such as the Civic, HR-V and CR-V.

There are currently no plans to sell the Honda e in Australia.