Honda e

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Not to be confused with Honda E engine, Honda E series, or E. Honda.
Honda e (ZC7)
Honda e Advance – f 18102020.jpg
Overview
ManufacturerHonda
Production2020–present
AssemblyJapan: Yorii, Saitama (Honda Motor, Saitama Factory)[1]
Designer
  • Ken Sahara (exterior)
  • Akinori Myoui (interior)
Body and chassis
ClassSubcompact car/Supermini (B)
Body style5-door hatchback
LayoutRear-motor, rear-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Electric motorMCF5 Permanent Magnet Brushless motor
Power output100–113 kW (134–152 hp), 315 N⋅m (232 lb⋅ft)
Transmission1-speed fixed gear
Battery35.5 kWh lithium-ion
Electric range220 km (137 mi)
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,530 mm (99.6 in)
Length3,894 mm (153.3 in)
Width1,752 mm (69.0 in)
Height1,503 mm (59.2 in)
Curb weight1,513–1,543 kg (3,336–3,402 lb)

The Honda e is an electric car manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda, available in the European and Japanese markets in 2020.[2] It is based on the Urban EV Concept presented at the 2017 International Motor Show Germany in September 2017. The production version was unveiled at the same show in 2019. Unlike the layout of the Urban EV Concept, which was a 3-door hatchback, the production version is available only as a 5-door model. Its name was confirmed by Honda in May 2019.[3] The vehicle is styled with a retro look reminiscent of the first-generation Civic. Honda's stated goal is to solely offer electrified powertrains in all of its mainstream European models by 2022.[4]

Design and history[]

1973 first-generation Civic
3-door 2017 Honda Urban EV Concept
Honda e at IAA 2019

The Urban EV Concept, first shown in 2017, was styled by Yuki Terai (exterior) and Fumihiro Yaguchi (interior) to evoke friendly and comforting feelings in prospective owners.[5] Press coverage of the Urban EV Concept's styling called it "an adorable homage to some of Honda's first small cars, such as the diminutive Civic hatchbacks of the 1970s"[6] and compared it to other urban cars originally introduced in the 1970s and early 1980s, including the Volkswagen Golf and Polo, Peugeot 205, Fiat 126 and 127, and the Honda's N600, pointing out similarities to the styling of the concept vehicle's predecessor, the EV-N concept.[7]

The pre-production car (named the Honda e) had its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019.[8] Its styling is an evolution of the 2017 Urban EV Concept; Honda equipped the 2019 prototype with flush-mounted door handles and compact rear-view cameras on each side to simplify its profile. To facilitate charging from either side, the charging port is located in the middle of the car's bonnet (hood).[9] The final production version of the e made its world debut at IAA 2019 in September 2019, held in Frankfurt, Germany.[10] The e project was led by Kohei Hitomi;[11] the exterior styling team was led by Ken Sahara and the interior styling team was led by Akinori Myoui.[10]

According to Hitomi, the e faced significant resistance from within the company; other executives, concerned about the vehicle's range, argued that a larger battery was needed, but the project team insisted on using a smaller battery to complement the vehicle's small size and urban use.[12] The positive feedback from the Urban EV Concept led to the approval of the production car.[13]

It uses a dedicated rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive electric vehicle platform, to facilitate agility and compact proportions for its planned urban market.[9] The water-cooled battery pack is carried within the wheelbase of the car, below the floor to provide a 50/50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity. Driving the rear wheels eliminates torque steer.[14] Agility is aided by torque vectoring.[15] The rear-drive also enables the front wheels to have a greater steering articulation, resulting in a turning radius (at wheel centre) of approximately 4.3 metres (14 ft), or 4.6 metres (15 ft) at the body, i.e. a turning circle of 9.2 metres (30 ft), 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 in) wider than the 7.6 metres (25 ft) turning radius of the famous London black cabs.[16] The platform features MacPherson strut independent suspension for each wheel.[17]

On 10 September 2019, Honda announced prices will start at €29,470 for the base model with the 100 kW motor (including local government subsidy) in Germany[18] and GB£26,160 with a subsidy in the UK.[10] The more powerful "Advance" grade will start at €32,470 in Germany and GB£28,660 in the UK with the uprated 113 kW motor.[10] Delivery is scheduled to begin in summer 2020.[18]

Specifications and performance[]

CCS Combo 2 connector charging port

The e features an electric motor at the rear, offering a power output of either 100 or 113 kW (134 or 152 hp); both variants offer 315 N⋅m (232 lb⋅ft) of torque.[19] According to Honda testing, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 8.3 seconds.[20] The e will offer a 'Sport Mode' to sharpen acceleration response and can be driven in 'Single Pedal Control' mode, where releasing the accelerator will engage the regenerative braking system, slowing the car without using a separate brake pedal.[17] Rumours of a potential higher-performance variant were quashed at the car's debut in Frankfurt.[21]

A 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is claimed to offer a range of around 220 km (140 mi) as per Honda internal data.[19] The e is equipped with a CCS Combo 2 connector, enabling both AC charging and DC fast charging.[14] With DC fast charging, the car can be charged to 80% capacity in 30 minutes.[12] Honda has also announced the pending availability of its Power Charger, which allows a charging power of up to 7.4 kW (single-phase). Three-phase charging (22kW) is not not available. With a 7.4 kW charger, the vehicle will charge to 100% capacity in approximately 4 hours.[22]

Features[]

Instrument panel

The instrument panel, which extends the full width of the interior, consists of five screens, including one dedicated 8.8 in (220 mm) instrument display in front of the driver and two large 12.3 in (310 mm) infotainment touchscreen displays flanked by two smaller 6 in (150 mm) displays for what Honda calls its Side Camera Mirror System.[23] The dual infotainment displays can independently run separate applications and are swappable; they support both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.[24] The car is equipped with the Honda Personal Assistant, which uses machine learning to train its voice recognition; voice commands to the car are prefixed with "OK Honda".[20]

Reception[]

Reception, in general, has been positive because of its retro styling and the mix of design and functionality.[25][26][27] However, it was criticized for its limited range.[28][29]

Starting on 20 May 2019, customers in the UK and selected European markets: Germany, France and Norway,[25] could place an order with an £800 (or equivalent) refundable deposit and Honda received over 25,000 expressions of interest across Europe,[26] of which 6,500 came from the UK.[30] By September, Honda received 40,000 expressions of interest.[31]

Reviewing the e Prototype for Car, Jake Groves wrote that it demonstrated "how electric cars should drive" with a caveat that the test drive took place on a test track in Germany. The "low-ish available range and expected-to-be-lofty price tag" were expected to put the car at a disadvantage compared to entry-level EV rivals such as the Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia e-Niro.[11] James Attwood, reviewing for Autocar, wrote the e Prototype has "nimble handling that fits its credentials as a versatile urban runaround — while offering the sort of fun driving response that should keep anyone already won over by the car's style happy."[27]

Awards[]

The Honda e won "Red Dot: Best of the Best 2020" in the automobile category.[32] It was named the overall "German Car of the Year" for 2021, becoming the first Japanese car to win the award.[33] At the 2021 World Car Awards, it won the "World Urban Car of the Year" award.[34]

Sales[]

Honda expects to sell around 1,000 units annually in the Japanese market, and around 10,000 units annually in the European market.[35] The car will not be sold in the US market.[36]

Year Europe
2020 4,028[37]

Gallery[]

  • Charging port with under-bonnet equipment

  • Interior

  • Rear quarter view

  • Rear with hatch opened

See also[]

  • Honda Clarity, Honda's electric and fuel cell vehicle family in North America and Japan.
  • Honda EV Plus, Honda's late 1990s subcompact EV

References[]

  1. ^ "Honda has big hopes for retro-styled EV". 13 September 2019.
  2. ^ "未来志向の都市型電気自動車「Honda e」、2020年日本に登場" [City EV for the future, "Honda e" will appear in 2020 in Japan] (in Japanese). Honda. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  3. ^ "Honda e Teased As Production-Ready Urban EV". Motor1.com. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Honda to electrify European line-up by 2022, not 2025". Autocar. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  5. ^ "Design: Honda Urban EV Concept". Honda Global Design. 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  6. ^ Estrada, Zac (September 12, 2017). "The Honda Urban EV Concept is the cool electric city car we need". The Verge. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  7. ^ Bruce, Chris (September 14, 2017). "9 Cars (And A Toy) That Inspired The Honda Urban EV Concept". motor1. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Honda e Prototype - Geneva Motor Show 2019 - (Honda Urban EV)". DrivingElectric. March 5, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b "'Honda e Prototype' World Premiere at Geneva International Motorshow 2019" (Press release). Honda European Media. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d "Honda e: cute electric city car to cost from £26,160". Car. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  11. ^ a b Groves, Jake (2 July 2019). "Honda E prototype (2019) review: charm offensive". Car. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  12. ^ a b Smith, Simon Duval. "An uncompromising and stylish approach to the urban EV". Automotive Purchasing and Supply Chain. No. 33. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  13. ^ Kohei Hitomi (27 February 2019). "Why Honda bosses weren't convinced about the e prototype" (Interview). Interviewed by James Attwood. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  14. ^ a b "All-New Honda e Platform Engineering to Deliver Exceptional Urban Driving Experience" (Press release). Honda European Media. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  15. ^ Attwood, James (4 July 2019). "New Honda e: compact EV tackles Goodwood hillclimb". Autocar. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  16. ^ Beetlestone, Ian (9 December 2012). "The history of London's black cabs". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Honda e: The Perfect Balance of Efficiency and Performance for Urban Commuting" (Press release). Honda European Media. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Pricing Details Confirmed for Honda e" (Press release). Honda European Media. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Production Honda e final specs confirmed". autodevot.com. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Mass Production Honda e Revealed and Set to Debut at Frankfurt" (Press release). Honda European Media. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  21. ^ Burgess, Rachel (11 September 2019). "Honda silences rumours of hot e Type R". Autocar. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  22. ^ "Honda Announce Next Steps Towards Electrification of European Business" (Press release). Honda European Media. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  23. ^ "Honda e prototype". Honda UK. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  24. ^ "Honda e Offers Advanced Connectivity for Modern Lifestyles" (Press release). Honda European Media. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  25. ^ a b "Honda's adorable electric car is officially on sale". Top Gear. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  26. ^ a b Smith, Luke John (20 May 2019). "Honda e electric car goes on sale in the UK with five bold colour options". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  27. ^ a b Attwood, James (2 July 2019). "First drive: Honda E 2019 prototype". Autocar. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  28. ^ "Honda E long-term test review". What Car?. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  29. ^ "Honda e: long-term test review". Auto Express. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  30. ^ "Honda e confirmed as name of manufacturer's electric city car". inews.co.uk. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  31. ^ "Honda E Electric Hatch Price and Range Announced". 10 September 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  32. ^ "Honda e and CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE win Design Awards in the "Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020" - Honda e wins "Red Dot: Best of the Best"". Honda. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  33. ^ Sensiba, Jennifer (2020-12-08). "Honda e Is The First Japanese Car To Win The "German Car of Year" Award". CleanTechnica. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  34. ^ "Honda Global | April 21, 2021 Honda e Triumphs at 2021 World Car Awards". global.honda. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  35. ^ "Honda to roll out its first mass-market electric car for Japan in October". The Japan Times. 2020-08-27. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  36. ^ Baldwin, Roberto (2020-01-28). "Why the Honda e Should (but Won't) Come to the U.S." Car and Driver. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  37. ^ "Honda e European sales figures". carsalesbase.com. 2020-05-04. Retrieved 2021-06-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

External links[]

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