As far as electromobility goes, Europe can’t get enough of the Renault Zoe. But Honda wants a piece of the action, hence the arrival of the all-new e subcompact hatchback. Even though it’s smaller than the French contender, the Honda e relies on a rear-mounted electric motor, 35.5-kWh battery, and a pair of cameras instead of conventional side mirrors.
Forget the EV Concept, this is the “mass production version” of car and two six-inch screens provide images from the cameras mentioned in the opening paragraph. Lexus and Audi have similar systems in the ES and e-tron, but given the segment of the e, Honda could set the trend for affordable EVs in this regard. What we don’t know for sure, however, is how European customers will react to a smaller EV than the ever-popular Renault Zoe.
Clever packaging and top-notch build quality can’t hide the limitations of the e in terms of accommodation and luggage capacity, two areas that helped the crossover gain traction all across the world. It’s fair to believe that Honda will address this shortfall with an electric CUV in the near future, something that would keep the Hyundai Kona Electric at bay.
On the show floor at Frankfurt, the e looks like a retro-futuristic microcar from every angle you admire it. What’s most surprising is the living-room environment inside and the dual 12.3-inch touchscreens, giving a lounge-like feeling to both the driver and front passenger. Rear-seat passengers, on the other hand, could use just a little more headroom.
Range? Make that up to 220 kilometers (136 miles) on a full charge, thank you! Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes “approximately eight seconds” according to Honda, and the fast-charging capability allows the battery to recharge to 80 percent of capacity in half an hour. The electric motor is available with two outputs – 136 or 154 PS – while torque is rated at 315 Nm.
Similar to the MBUX infotainment system in Mercedes-Benz models such as the A-Class, the Honda Personal Assistant utilizes machine learning to cater to the needs of the driver as good as technically possible. The assistant has been designed to develop a greater understanding of the owner’s voice over time, all in the name of delivering more accurate responses.
Clever packaging and top-notch build quality can’t hide the limitations of the e in terms of accommodation and luggage capacity, two areas that helped the crossover gain traction all across the world. It’s fair to believe that Honda will address this shortfall with an electric CUV in the near future, something that would keep the Hyundai Kona Electric at bay.
On the show floor at Frankfurt, the e looks like a retro-futuristic microcar from every angle you admire it. What’s most surprising is the living-room environment inside and the dual 12.3-inch touchscreens, giving a lounge-like feeling to both the driver and front passenger. Rear-seat passengers, on the other hand, could use just a little more headroom.
Range? Make that up to 220 kilometers (136 miles) on a full charge, thank you! Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes “approximately eight seconds” according to Honda, and the fast-charging capability allows the battery to recharge to 80 percent of capacity in half an hour. The electric motor is available with two outputs – 136 or 154 PS – while torque is rated at 315 Nm.
Similar to the MBUX infotainment system in Mercedes-Benz models such as the A-Class, the Honda Personal Assistant utilizes machine learning to cater to the needs of the driver as good as technically possible. The assistant has been designed to develop a greater understanding of the owner’s voice over time, all in the name of delivering more accurate responses.