Honda isn’t new to alternative powertrains. They already had that funky-looking Insight hybrid available back in 1999, a mere two years after the Prius became cultural-shorthand for “self-righteous.” Not only that, but it adopted a respectable styling that I’ll refer to as budget-futuristic that at least made it interesting, if not quite attractive.
They also shat the bed with the CRZ, the world’s first manual-equipped hybrid. It also boasted a unique design that suggested eco-friendly cars could also be fun. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. At a meager 121HP, it was too small, too slow, and too bland to catch buyers’ interests.
Since then, they’ve dabbled. There are hybrid variants of their most popular models, as well as all-electric versions of the Civic and Accord. They also developed the Clarity, a technical marvel that uses hydrogen fuel. Unfortunately, the need for pricey infrastructure, as well as the technology’s inherent inefficiencies, keep it from being a viable alternative.
Enter: the Honda E.
Though currently not scheduled to come to North America, the E is a battery-powered all-electric city car. It promises 125 miles of range and reaches 80% charge in just half-an-hour. Clearly, it’s aimed at urban-dwellers looking for something to compliment city-life.
Beyond that, details are scarce. It maintains it’s retro styling first seen on the prototype and maintains a simple and clean design throughout. The interior boasts a dash-length touchscreen that houses most of the controls and information.
It’s also rear-wheel-drive, which is a pleasant surprise. Whether the engine offers enough boost to make that enjoyable remains to be seen, but it is a promising start.
Five colors are available, though only two are actual colors with the others being shades. Howevs, with most buyers choosing silver and black, you can’t blame Honda for keeping things conservative.
With a $1000 reserve price, Honda claims to have had 25000 “expressions of interest” in the build-up to the 2020 launch date. How many of those “expressions” came with a deposit isn’t clear, but, as long as the price is right, there’s sure to be a lot of interest for a vehicle like this.
It’ll be interesting to see more stats and reviews when the release date gets closer. Tesla has shown the potential of electric cars, and with Honda choosing such a distinct style and layout, there may be more to the car then just city driving.