Honda puts a completely unique, even alien-looking model into the world with the E. Although it undeniably has retro elements, the street scene is especially striking how incredibly futuristic the car looks.
With its smooth body, recessed door handles, missing exterior mirrors and round LED light units, the Honda E looks like a design vision for the year 2050 that has escaped the trade fair floor. the model. Inside, the electric Honda is just as special. The fact that it has a set of traditional buttons for adjusting the indoor temperature is quite remarkable; with five screens placed side by side, there is plenty of room for a digital solution. But Honda rightly believes that some things could be more directly accessible. Even the materials used are special, with the natural-looking wood and the distinct upholstery fabrics creating a remarkably homely atmosphere. The very high quality level is also noticeable in a positive sense: the finish is almost flawless.
Clear menu
The screen gallery in the E may seem like a gimmick at first glance, but it turns out to be functional in practice. The two outer screens show the image of the digital exterior mirrors supplied as standard, which, thanks to their clear image, contribute a lot to the all-round view, which thanks to the relatively high seating position and the large glass surface by contemporary standards. When in doubt, one push of a button is enough to conjure up a whole range of side, rear and top views on the screen. The three remaining screens are a digital instrumentation and two touchscreens for the infotainment. These do almost the same thing and both have a set of shortcuts that can be arranged according to taste and a clear menu. This makes it possible, for example, to combine the navigation screen with the media screen or an extensive on-board computer. One touch of an always-visible tile is enough to switch screens, making it easier for a passenger to look up destinations or browse playlists. It is surprisingly intuitive; the Japanese have taken a close look at the operating structure of smartphones and offer, for example, the possibility to quickly browse through the most recently used apps.
Little luggage space
The fact that the Honda does not have a center tunnel indicates that a conventional setup has not been chosen here; the E has technically nothing to do with Honda’s petrol models. The engine is located in the rear, under the luggage compartment. That it is therefore very small (171 liters) would not be so bad if there was also some space for stuff in the front, but that is unfortunately not the case. The Honda is quite tight in the back. The rear-mounted engine does deliver the aforementioned, minuscule turning circle.
In the basic version, the electric motor delivers 100 kW / 136 hp. We drove the more expensive Advance, which has 154 hp in addition to more equipment. At 1,525 kg, it is of course quite heavy for its segment, but for an EV it is not too bad. The extra kilos makes the E even ‘more substantial’, as if it were a larger car. A lot of weight is in principle a handicap, but what helps is that the kilos have been put as much as possible at the bottom of the car. Partly because of this, the E feels like a well-balanced, comfortable car. The steering is light, but also fairly numb. You are close to the handlebars, but also quite upright and relatively high.
150 kilometers
It is more remarkable that Honda does not complete all that beauty with a serious battery pack, but is sufficient with gross 35.5 kWh. Perhaps worse is that consumption is disappointing. You can expect optimum efficiency from a car that has been developed as an EV from the start. Honda argues that the range of the E is more than adequate for most people, but in everyday life a larger battery offers serious added value; now you drive in the E always with an oblique view of the power supply. The Honda can charge with a maximum of 60 kW. It is about the same speed on AC power, but no three-phase charger is available. For the calculation of the range, we assume the full battery capacity for fairness, while in reality not the complete content is usable. Partly for this reason, it is in practice already after about 150 km to find a charging station with the Honda. That makes the crazy Japanese hardly suitable for those who drive a lot of long distances.