By 2030, Honda wants to manufacture 2 million battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars annually. The Japanese firm has already detailed its electrification plans in key markets such as China and the United States and has forged important strategic alliances with partners such as General Motors or Sony.
However, at the moment it seems that Europe occupies a secondary role in its strategy, something that could be due in part to the failure of the Honda e, a cute electric utility vehicle developed specifically for the old continent. Despite its nice design, the Honda e has not been able to meet the expectations placed on it, dispatching just 4,078 units in 2020 and 3,752 in 2021.
Although the Honda e is a vehicle full of arguments to convince the public, including state-of-the-art technological equipment and a well-crafted chassis, two factors have weighed it down compared to the competition: its reduced range, just 222 km WLTP, and its high starting price of 33,900 euros before aid.
The Honda e is available with two electric motors, one with 136 hp (100 kW) and 315 Nm, and another with 154 hp (113 kW) and 315 Nm. In both cases, the propeller is coupled to the rear axle; therefore, we are talking about a rear-wheel-drive vehicle. To this, we would have to add the torque vectoring system, its 50/50 weight distribution, and independent suspensions on both axles.
The Honda e offers 222 kilometers of autonomy
Its battery pack is liquid-cooled, but with a capacity of 35.5 kWh, it limits the car to the urban environment, something that also happens with its main rival, the MINI Cooper SE. On the other hand, it can charge at a maximum of 50 kW of power in direct current, so it takes 30 minutes to recover 80% of its range.
To boost its sales, Honda has now introduced a special Limited Edition, which will be made up of just 50 units. It will be based on Advance completion; therefore, it will be available exclusively with the most powerful engine in the range. It will have an exclusive Platinum Crystal Red color and will equip 17-inch alloy wheels in black.
Within the list of equipment, we would have to highlight elements such as the panoramic roof or the heated seats. Its starting price in Germany will not be low, as it will cost a whopping 41,900 euros. At the moment their rates for other markets have not been revealed, although they should be announced in the short term.
