The EV Plus served to test advanced battery chemistry in an electric car and also met California Air Resources Board requirements for zero-emission vehicles, like the General Motors EV1.

Honda began development of an electric vehicle (EV) in April 1988, inspired in part by the General Motors Sunraycer, which won the World Solar Challenge in 1987, and with an intent to meet increasingly stringent future emissions standards.

[1] Early obstacles were discovered; electric traction motors that were powerful or efficient were too large to fit, energy storage density using existing lead–acid technology was similarly too low, and the time required to recharge was inconvenient.

[1] A first prototype was designed, based on the existing three-door hatchback Civic, retrofitted with commercially available electric motor and lead–acid batteries, and modified with numerous weight-saving measures, including aluminum body panels and acrylic plastic windows; it was completed in July 1991 and ran without issues.

"[1] Over the next two hours, Araki explained his anger: the finished product was a shameful compromise and merely an excuse for Honda's inexperience with EVs.

"As long as we continue trying a variety of measures in a project, each car we produce must constitute a learning experience that leads to the next step.

The CUV-4 had a limited range of just 25 to 31 miles (40 to 50 km), prompting tweaks to the basic vehicle specifications that were later realized in the EV Plus, including battery voltage, chemistry, and motor power.

[1] The EV Plus featured on-board conductive charging with the Avcon connector, passive battery balancing, regenerative braking and deceleration, AC/heat pump climate control, HID headlights, 4 seats, and electrically heated windshield.

[11] A race-prepared EV Plus set a new record for electric vehicles at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1999 by finishing in 15:19.91.

[12] The special EV Plus, prepared and driven by Teruo Sugita, had been converted to mid-engine, rear-wheel drive and fitted with extra batteries.

Instead of the high-voltage traction battery of the EV Plus, the FCX used hydrogen stored on board in a fuel cell reactor to generate electricity.