Pour One Out for the Honda e (2019 – 2024)

The zero-emission supermini's downfall started from the very moment Honda revealed it. Penned by Ken Sahara, the cutesy hatchback was – and still is – too expensive for a B-segment model. Worse still, its driving range leaves much to be desired in comparison to the likes of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Peugeot e-208, and recently leaked Lancia Ypsilon EV.

At launch, the automaker from Tokyo quoted 200 kilometers (124 miles) on a full charge of the high-voltage battery. At press time, Honda's poor-selling e is listed with up to 220 kilometers (137 miles) under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure as opposed to 362 kilometers (225 miles) for the e-208 and 417 (259) for the Chevrolet Bolt EV.

Pricing? As per Honda's Japanese website, that would be 4,950,000 yen or 34,025 dollars at current exchange rates. That means the Honda e costs more than an Odyssey minivan. Oh, and by the way, the Civic Type R kicks off at 4,997,300 yen in Japan.

Abysmal value for money? Not exactly so, but alas, all the standard equipment that one can throw at a B-segment hatchback with low driving range won't change the fact that Honda's rather pretty e is too expensive for a subcompact hatch with low range.

Part of the reason why Honda failed is the automaker's initial dismissal of electric vehicles. Although we're still a few years off widespread adoption due to battery tech- and charging infrastructure-related challenges, Honda couldn't have been more wrong. Everyone and their dog wants a Tesla, and the rising market share of EVs is slowly but steadily putting fossil-fuel vehicles to shame.

Not all is lost, though, because Honda was wise enough to learn from this costly mistake. Over in the United States, the Japanese automaker partnered up with General Motors for the Prologue and the Acura-badged ZDX. Both are twinned with the Chevrolet Blazer EV, whose BEV3 platform is further shared with the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Cadillac Optiq, Cadillac Lyriq, and the Celestiq.

In the Old Continent, a small crossover indirectly replaces the Honda e. Advertised as the Honda e:Ny1, said crossover is close to the HR-V and ZR-V in terms of dimensions. The problem with it, however, is rather familiar. At €47,590 from the outset, it's almost five grand more than a Model 3.

Five grand! As if that wasn’t bad enough for the obnoxiously named e:Ny1, even the Model Y is more affordable (starting at €44,890) and better in terms of driving range (455 instead of 412 kilometers).