If you want a small electric car with eye-catching good looks and a lot of personality, the Honda E might be for you.
If you like the idea of a slick-looking electric car like a Tesla, but you don't have that kind of cash (or the need for jaw-dropping performance and record-setting range), the Honda E might be for you.
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If you live in an urban area, have a short commute and regular access to charging stations, the Honda E might be for you. (Do you sense a theme here?)
The Honda E is the adorable new electric vehicle (EV) from Honda that appeals to a wide variety of potential buyers, including — and beyond — current EV drivers. Honda figured out very quickly that the E might hit that sweet spot, at least in certain European countries. The company opened up reservations for the car in late May 2019 to residents in the U.K., Germany, France and Norway for a refundable reservation fee of about $1,000, and about 25,000 have already been placed, according to Honda. The cars will be available in spring 2020 for a total base price of about $45,000.
Who can blame people for loving it? Just look at the thing. It's reminiscent of older, sportier Honda compact cars from the '70s, back when they were a bit more squared-off and exterior color options had fun, goofy names. But the Honda E is totally modern, with the sleek side panels, halo front lighting, and obvious aerodynamic influence over the shape and profile.
The Honda E is based on the E Prototype, which made its near-production-ready debut at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March 2019. The commercial version will be equipped with a "high-powered" motor that is expected to produce up to 148 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. That horsepower figure is on par with a lot of compact and subcompact cars. And the E will likely launch super quickly from a full stop, since electric cars instantly produce their full torque rating (unlike gas-powered cars, which produce torque along a curve).
The E will be also have a range of about 125 miles (201 kilometers) on a full charge, which falls short of many of its EV competitors, but again, it's designed for short trips. And Honda says its quick charging battery can be back to 80 percent in just half an hour.
The E is also rear-wheel drive, which means it'll be fun to drive, though perhaps a little tricky during the winter months. And like many other EVs on the market, the Honda E uses single pedal control, which means drivers use just one pedal to accelerate and slow the car down. This will help with its driving efficiency in urban environments, which again, is the intended use of the E.
Unfortunately, for now, the biggest drawback of the Honda E is that reservations are limited to just a few European countries (and we don't know if it will be available in the United States). So if you live in the U.S. and have fallen in love with this EV (like we have), you better cross your fingers that the E eventually makes its way across the pond.
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