Hot topics

On board the Honda-e: the little electric city car that turns heads

androidpit honda e front
© nextpit

Read in other languages:

Seen at the Geneva Motor Show as a prototype, the Honda-e is finally visible in its final version and is ready to be marketed in Frankfurt. The small Japanese electric city car has an original design that will undoubtedly seduce many motorists. Who says electric vehicles are all ugly?

£26K for a 35 kW battery

If manufacturers still have difficulty selling electric cars, it is partly because of their prices. Honda has remained reasonable (if you can call it that) for its city car, but the prices are still not cheap compared to a combustion engine car and a bit higher than other future models. The Honda-e, which will debut in dealerships in the summer of 2020, will start at under  £26,160 with the included bonus (including the £3,500 plug-in grant for the 136 hp version), while a more powerful 153 hp version starts at £28,660.

£26K for a 35kW battery, i.e. a range of 220km (according to the WLTP test cycle), so this is Honda's bet, which seems to focus on design and style to seduce

Two charging sockets are available: an AC Type 2 socket (AC power for loads limited to 6.6 kW) and a DC Combo CCS socket (DC power for fast loads). Honda promises fast charging for its battery. The Japanese manufacturer promises that in 30 minutes it is possible to recharge 80 percent of the battery. On the other hand, on a home socket, wait for 10 hours for a full charge.

androidpit honda e charge
Quick charging is available on the Honda-e  / © NextPit

An original design

At the end of the day, it is the look (both exterior and interior) that allows the small Honda-e to stand out the most from the competition. Its neo-retro look gives Honda's all-electric city car real personality. Its two small round headlights, retractable handles, camera mirrors and front hood charging flap give it a sexy look. Funnily enough, there is an NFC logo on the driver's door, as your smartphone can be used as a key to unlock the vehicle via an app. It is also possible to read information about the vehicle in the app.

androidpit honda e back
The Honda-e has retained the design of the prototype  / © NextPit

The interior is also original with two six-inch screens for mirrors, a screen behind the wheel for key driver information and two 12.3-inch screens for infotainment. An HDMI socket, a 230V (1500W) socket, a 12V socket and two USB sockets are even included, and Honda even offers a digital voice assistant. By using the magic words "Ok Honda" you can perform different operations (checking the weather, turning on the headlights, launch the GPS, etc.). In practice, this was more difficult on the stand at the motor show due to the ambient noise and an unstable Internet connection.

androidpit honda e inside
Five screens in total  / © NextPit

We'd have to test the car to observe how it performs in daily life, of course. But with a short turning radius (it turns tighter than a London taxi), the Honda-e has the perfect profile for city driving at first glance. The competition will be tough for the little Japanese car though. Compared to the new Volkswagen ID.3, the future Peugeot e-208 or the Renault ZOE, the Honda-e will be less autonomous and more expensive to buy.

How does the new Honda-e look to you?

 The best gaming monitors at a glance

  Best gaming monitor up to $400 Best gaming monitor up to $600 Best gaming monitor up to $800 Best gaming monitor up to $1,000 Best gaming monitor for consoles
Model
Image LG Ultragear 27GP850P - product image Asus ROG Strix XG27AQ - product image BenQ MOBIUZ EX3210U - product image Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDM - product image Gigabyte M32U - product image
Offers
Go to comment (1)
Pierre Vitré

Pierre Vitré
Head of Content

Pierre has a strong passion for new technologies and mobile since its first StarTac. Android user since 2011, Pierre became totally hooked. He never leaves his smartphone and smartwatch and still believes in the success of Google Glass. That's why he joined AndroidPIT.fr to be the head of content.

View all articles
Liked this article? Share now!
Recommended articles
Latest articles
Push notification Next article
1 Comment
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing

  • 3
    GarethJO Sep 13, 2019 Link to comment

    It needs to be under £10k - I can buy a nice 2nd hand Bentley for that money FFS