Officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019 and available on the European market in 2020, the Honda e is the brand’s first fully electric car. This sporty, powerful and agile city car offers remarkable performance and C02 emission-free driving. A must-have for the city!
Design of the electric Honda
The Honda e is unique and was created by questioning everything. Pleasant to drive, this city car corresponds to the current driving style and that of the future.
Exterior
To start, the Honda e offers five different color levels. Some of these colors are standard, and others are optional at €660.
The Honda e is the first vehicle to replace exterior mirrors with cameras as standard equipment. The images are transmitted live to the two 6-inch screens inside the vehicle.
Other elegant elements that accentuate the clean and uncluttered design of the Honda e are the handles. The handles are flush with the body, and when access to the vehicle is required, they lift up.
The Honda e is equipped with 16-inch alloy wheels, while the Honda e Advance trim offers 16- and 17-inch wheels. As for lighting, the LED front and rear lights illuminate your journeys. Like eyes, they welcome you when you unlock the vehicle.
Driving around town usually involves multiple stops and starts, and the brake light quickly stands out with its modern neo-retro design. You can drive with peace of mind!
Interior
Step inside a minimalist and modern interior. The sleek and spacious interior brings warmth and comfort to this electric city car. There is enough legroom to accommodate up to four adult passengers on board. To avoid cluttering the space, the center column in the front and rear seats is non-existent.
Covered in a durable, soft-touch fabric, the Honda e’s seats are comfortable and supportive. They are heated in the front. Once seated and relaxed, you can enjoy the view, thanks to the panoramic roof.
The panoramic roof brings light from outside into the cabin, giving you the impression of being in an open living room. A must-have!
On the dashboard, which forms a panoramic screen, there are two assembled LCD screens, offering 12.3 inches each, for infotainment. This system displays a choice of radio, playlists, GPS navigation, or Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connections.
It’s the same principle as a smartphone and its swipe controls. You can also feed little virtual fish in an aquarium, a rather nice gadget that is also found on the Tesla Model 3. The instrumentation also receives an LCD screen.
At each end of the dashboard, you’ll find the aforementioned camera-based exterior mirror system on screens. A sixth screen is located in the rearview mirror, coupled with a camera located at the rear of the vehicle.
In low light and bad weather conditions, it allows for greater visibility, and tracks traffic behind you. This revolutionary technology, available from the Honda e Advance trim, guarantees a natural feel and vision.
Honda e : login to My Honda+ application
Thanks to the My Honda + application on your smartphone, available from the Advance trim, you have remote control over your vehicle. You can lock, charge or start the air conditioning. Receive charge status and maintenance reminders. With My Honda + you get the best of technology in this new generation electric vehicle.
From a dimensional point of view, we are close to the Renault Zoe. The Honda e is 3.89 meters long, 1.75 meters wide and 1.51 meters high. Its wheelbase is 2.53 meters. This means it can accommodate a maximum of four passengers, and not one more!
With a turning radius of 4.3 meters and an empty weight of 1,527 kg, this city car is perfectly maneuverable in narrow streets.
The flexible trunk offers 171 liters of storage space. To make room for luggage or other bulky items, simply fold down the rear seats. This increases the storage space to 571 liters.
Engines and performance
Located under the front hood, the Honda e’s permanent magnet electric motor is limited to 154 horsepower (113 kW). With a torque of 315 Nm, the city car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.3 seconds.
To complete the catalog, a second engine is available, more modest of 100 kW or 136 horsepower. The fixed transmission drives everything. This car has no gears, it is a simple pedal control that provides the power.
To maintain the range, the top speed allows up to 145 kph in both engines. The average fuel consumption is 17.7 kWh/100km WLTP, and 0 g/km in CO2 emissions.
Battery and autonomy of the small city car Honda e
The Honda e has a battery with a capacity of 35.5 kW, which provides a maximum range of 222 km in WLTP cycle. This is much less than a Peugeot e-208 with 340 km of range.
In order to contribute to the weight distribution between the front and the rear of the city car, the Li-Ion battery designed by Panasonic is located under the floor.
Weighing 228.24 kg, it consists of 192 cells and provides a voltage of 355.2 volts. As for the version with a 113 kW motorization, more energy consuming, it is limited to 210 km of autonomy.
How do you charge the Honda e ?
Charging the Honda e is simple and straightforward, either at home or at a charging station. To allow easy access from both sides of the car, the charging point is located in the center of the hood. An LED indicator clearly shows the driver the charging status on the display.
In terms of capacity, charging is limited to 6.6 kW. The on-board charger is completed with a Type 2 Combo connector (CCS) that tolerates up to 46 kW of maximum power. As a result, the manufacturer announces that 30 minutes are enough to recover 80% of energy.
Honda SENSING: safety for all
There is no such thing as an accident-free world, yet it is the dream of every driver and road user. To ensure your safety, the brand has created Honda SENSING, which brings together advanced safety functions and driving aids.
Lane departure prevention system
To keep you safe, the system slightly alters the trajectory if your car veers off course. It can also activate the brakes in some cases.
Traffic sign recognition system
The speed limit is detected when the traffic signs are identified. The speed is then displayed on the driver information interface.
Lane Keeping Assist System
When driving on the highway, for example, the car is kept in the middle of the detected lane. This makes driving more relaxed.
Adaptive cruise control with low-speed safety distance maintenance
The safety distance between the detected vehicles is maintained once the speed is set.
Braking system for collision prevention
The system activates the brakes if it detects a possible head-on collision. The severity of the impact is then minimized.
Intelligent speed limiter
The system detects the speed limit by recognizing traffic signs. The speed of the vehicle is then determined.
Automatic high beam
When a vehicle arrives in front of you, or when a vehicle in front of you is detected, the high beam of the little city car automatically switches to low beam.
Blind spot monitoring system and approaching vehicle alert
A warning symbol appears in the rearview mirror when vehicles are detected in your blind spot.
Notification system of the car starting preceding you
When an inconspicuous object is detected, the low-speed braking feature alerts you to its presence before applying the brake.
Low speed braking control is only included on the Honda e Advanced
When the car in front of you starts up after a stop, the system warns you.
Honda e : the unique version
This electric car model offers an excellent level of finish: Honda e Advance. The Honda brand offers three recommended and customizable configurations: Honda e Advance 16 inches, Honda e Advance 17 inches, and Honda e Advance pack U.R.B.A.N.
Features of the Honda e Advance
Main features
| My Honda+ |
| Dual full-width screens |
| Leather steering wheel |
| Unique pedal system |
| Keyless entry and start 230V outlet |
| 230V outlet |
| Interior rear view camera |
| Battery charging port |
| Honda Sensing + |
| LED daytime running lights |
| Panoramic roof |
| Retractable door handles |
| Tinted rear windows |
| Exterior mirrors with cameras |
| Heated steering wheel |
| Honda Parking Pilot |
| Heated front seats |
| Eight-speaker audio system |
The prices of the electric car
The Advance version of the Honda starts at €40,460 excluding the environmental bonus, and is available on a 36-month lease with maintenance and warranty included, starting at €279/month. At this price, the electric city car is aimed at wealthy households, ready to spend more than €30,000 for a second car that is not even four meters long.
| Version | Price |
| Honda e Advance | 41 270 € |
| Honda Recommended Configurations: | |
| Honda e Advance 16 inches | 41 270 € |
| Honda e Advance 17 inches | 41 930 € |
| Honda and Advance pack U.R.B.A.N. | 43 530 € |
Our opinion
If you’re looking for a pretty cool city car, then the Honda e is for you! Sure, you’ll find more practicality and versatility for less money, but this car has become one of the most popular recent cars. It meets all the criteria and is more equipped than an electric Mini or a BMW i3. So, ready to plug in?
| To guide you in your research, the OnMyBike team offers daily articles on hybrid and electric vehicles |