Honda has unveiled the its electric vehicle, the Honda e, at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show with the Japanese company calling it a mass production vehicle.
The automaker claims to already have “over 40,000 expressions of interest” for the electric car that has a starting price of €29,470 (NZ$50,000) for the 100kW version, to €32,470 (NZ$56,000) for the “Advance” grade that includes further specification and a motor output increased to 113kW.”
It will start delivers of the Honda e mid-2020, a similar time-frame to Volkswagen’s ID.3 that was also revealed at Frankfurt.
Volkswagen NZ is working with Germany to secure the ID.3 for our market.
So, will we see the Honda e here?
Honda New Zealand says, “at present we have no information about the Honda e for New Zealand” but would be keen to have it in its fleet.
Honda previously revealed its 33.4kWh Lithium-ion battery, along with its 50:50 weight distribution. Honda says the car will be capable of charging to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, and it’ll have a 200km range.
At the Frankfurt show, Honda also announced some products on the energy side of electrification including home charging stations, called Honda Power Charger with a maximum output of 7.4kW (single-phase power supply) or 22kW (three-phase power supply).
The brand also unveiled a new Honda Power Manager, which is basically a bi-directional charging device to enable the vehicle-to-grid capability. That is similar to Nissan’s bi-directional charging via a new home charger for the Leaf. Nissan NZ says we should have the bi-directional charging by the end of this year.
The Honda e has to be the cutest EV out there, retaining a prototype look and futuristic appeal thanks to its round front head lights
Clean external lines are accentuated by the Side Camera Mirror System that replaces conventional side view mirrors with compact cameras, providing live images to two six-inch screens inside the vehicle. That is similar to Audi’s e-tron system.
The car has pop-out door handles that provide a seamless look and thanks to the use of the side camera mirror system, designers have been able to create a near-seamless connection between windscreen and A-pillar. Inside, a next-generation five screen full-width digital dashboard and connected infotainment system.
The largest area of the Honda e’s full-width digital dashboard is occupied by dual 12.3in LCD touchscreens. These act as the primary infotainment displays, presenting a range of applications and connected infotainment services that help the car to seamlessly integrate with the owner’s modern urban lifestyle in a living-room like environment.
The Honda e also gets a Siri-like personal assistant called “Okay Honda” that can be found in Mercedes-Benz’s A-Class and GLE plus BMW’s X5, X7 and 3 Series.
