The Honda e. Probably one of the quirkiest Japanese EVs within the last decade. Despite not being offered new here, Honda’s first purely mass-market EV has a strong appeal. One which has resonated with a number of Honda fans and prospective EV buyers at home.
As a result, a few have taken it upon themselves to import them privately. Take the example you see here for instance, imported into Christchurch by its current owner who kindly offered me the chance to have the proper e experience.
First, a bit of background on the e itself. The Honda e can trace its origins back to Honda’s Urban EV Concept unveiled at the International Motor Show of Germany in 2017. However, its loveable face and profile were designed to pay homage to the first-generation Civic.
The source of the Honda e’s all-electric go is a 35.5kWh battery pack. Being the Advance spec, it sends 113kW and 315Nm of torque to the, wait for it, rear wheels via an electric motor. The e is capable with both AC and DC fast-charging and Honda claim 80 per cent charge with the latter will take around 30 minutes or so.
You can see elements of the original Civic in the e’s design. Take those “bright-eyed” LED headlights and its compact dimensions. It’s a sweet looking wee car, echoing the past while still looking modern. The touches of minimalism around the flush door handles, rear three quarter design, and taillight cluster all add up to a city car which looks like it never left the concept stage.
Inside it’s a case of modern Honda familiarity but with a twist. The feeling of durable switchgear and quality materials is obvious, as is the leather wrapped steering wheel which feels good in your mitts, but it’s the infotainment cluster which first grabs one’s attention the moment you step inside. What you have is an 8.8-inch digital driver display and next that, dual 12.3-inch infotainment displays.
Also, if that wasn’t enough, Honda have done away with the wing mirrors all together and replaced them with cameras relaying the image of what’s behind you through a pair of 6-inch screens on either side of those aforementioned screens.
You get all manner of Honda Safety equipment. The e also comes Honda’s Parking Pilot system which takes the stress out of you finding a park by letting the e do it for you. You also get a 360-degree camera, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a heated steering wheel and a nice premium audio system to name but a few of the onboard toys. The seats themselves offer up decent levels of comfort and there is even modest legroom in the rear.
Right, time to get moving. Once you initiate drive and engage classic EV silent running, it becomes apparent the E is more “sprightly hatch” than just another battery powered commuter. I wouldn’t say the performance is rapid but given the size, the e responds very well indeed to an exuberantly pressed throttle. So much so that when starting off in Sport mode, this automotive scribe was actually quite surprised with ease in which the e can dart forward. Obviously, the rear drive bias and instant torque of the 35.5kWh batteries help but it is certainly a giggle.
What is also the cause of copious amounts of further giggling is the e’s turning circle. Stopping in a carpark between Sumner and Mt Pleasant, this was put to the test. The Honda e has one of the best turning circles I have ever experienced in any car at 9.2 metres, almost on par with that other king of tight turning circles, the London Black Taxi Cab. If there were a slalom course laid out, no doubt the wee e would devour it in quick time.
Heading back in to urban Christchurch traffic, the e’s appetite for cheerful motoring frivolity continues to present itself. The ride is supple and body roll is kept minimal, as is tire roar. It also does a fine job in drowning out the world going by with good levels of sound deadening. I must confess it did take a while to get used to looking at the dual screens instead of wing mirrors to view what was behind me. However, it soon became second nature.
The levels of regenerative braking are good and the gulf between each is decent. Those after the ultimate in electric regeneration can activate one-pedal-drive which as the name suggests, pretty much eliminates the need to touch the brake pedal. The e also gets plenty of attention as you saunter through suburbia. Many people do a double take or peer into the lane next to them, probably agog as to what it is.
Venturing away from urban congestion and onto the 100kph stretch of the run to Lyttleton Tunnel, the e actually fares well at motorway cruising speeds. While its claimed 220km range means the long haul is probably not the e’s forte, short motorway trips are certainly something which it manages rather well.
Even more impressive is once you get to tight switchback roads, the 1588kg Honda e is proper chuck-able devourer of tarmac. This is where in Sport mode you can have a bit of fun. With one-pedal-drive on, you can carry plenty of entry speed into the next corner. Grips levels aren’t bad and steering is a good blend between lightness and feedback.
Production of the Honda e wound up in January of this year, meaning total production lasted only four years. With no current plans for a successor, its looking like the e will continue to be a rarity on New Zealand roads.
A fun, quirky, characterful, brisk and clever rarity at that.
