The Honda e redefines what a full-electric city car can be. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

Electric cars are all very worthy but, by and large, they tend to lack any kind of 'want one' factor. Here's one though, that you might really covet - the Honda e. Because it's very small and doesn't go particularly far on a single charge, it's very much an urban town runabout. But what a cool one to have.

Background

What should a city-based full-electric urban runabout really be if an element of desirability as well as efficiency is called for? Something like the Honda e? We can see why you might think so. The Japanese brand believes that EV makers have been producing boring, pricey products with expensive technology delivering extended range that city folk don't actually really need. Which explains why the Honda e restricts the size of both its battery and the resulting driving range. There are many compensations though, as we're about to see...

Driving Experience

Almost everything about this car is different - including the way it's been engineered. Drive is from the back not the front. There's a DC electric motor, not an AC one. And it sits under the boot floor, not under the bonnet. Even the wheels are of contrary design - the rims are staggered in width, like they are on Honda's NSX supercar, half an inch narrower at the front at the rear. In keeping with that, there's the kind of perfect dynamic 50:50 weight distribution that's foreign to most other EVs. All of this we think you'll like - even the curious electric motor placement, which decimates boot space but makes possible a tiny London taxi-like 4.3-metre turning radius. The differentiation point we think you'll be less happy with is Honda's decision to go against the grain when it comes to battery size and not to prioritise here the thing that most EV customers prioritise; driving range. You can't give a car like this a heavy all-steel structure and a resulting one and a half tonne kerb weight, then give it a little 35.5 kWh battery and expect it to go it to go very far on a single charge - and it doesn't. The official WLTP figure is up to 137 miles - but real world? You get sweaty palms just trying to reach three figures Still, there are lots of compensations. Light, quick steering, great cornering body control, a brilliantly supple quality of ride thanks to the all-independent suspension and the novelty of Honda's 'Side Mirror Camera System', which replaces conventional door mirrors with 6-inch colour screens that sit at either end of the dash. Switch out of the 'Normal' drive mode into the alternative 'Sport' setting that further decimates the range and there's an appropriate bit of zip to go with all of this - especially up to 30mph, courtesy of a 154PS electric motor (now the only one available), which makes 60mph in 8.3s.

Design and Build

Rarely have we ever tested a car that looks quite so much like a motor show concept. Not everyone will like the look of this Honda e, but there's certainly nothing like it on the road. It's certainly small - just 3.9-metres in length - and quite tall too, the roofline 100mm higher than a rival MINI Electric Hatch. It's a clean sheet design with virtually nothing - visually or in terms of engineering - shared with the brand's only fractionally larger Jazz Hybrid, which is impressive. There's brand DNA here, but the character and style of what a small Honda should be has been re-imagined for the 21st century. And so much about it will be fascinating if you find a different approach to be also an intriguing one. At the wheel, there's lots of showroom wow factor, though we're not too keen on the incongruous light wood trim. Two 12-inch screens sit at the centre of the dash and it's possible to 'swap' displays between them - so, for instance, you might want to pass the sat nav over to the front passenger to type in an address, say. You can even hook up a games console to the HDMI input port. Or select wallpaper or aquarium screen backgrounds to sooth your mood. The main interior talking point though, will probably be the corner monitors that take the place of exterior door mirrors, a design idea we first saw on a much bigger EV, the Audi e-tron. Here, the concept actually works a little better - the mirror displays are a little better sited. And on the 'Advance' variant, aother little screen takes the place of the rear view mirror, though you can flip it back to a conventional mirror surface if you wish. Predictably, there's not much room in the back and the boot is just 171-litres in size.

Market and Model

Prices start from around £37,000 for the base 136PS 'Advance' model - or from around £38,000 for the better-equipped 154PS 'Advance'-specced variant. The base version includes most of the stuff you'd want: 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, all-round parking sensors, a rear view camera, keyless entry, an alarm, ambient lighting, front heated seats and that clever Side Camera Mirror System. Infotainment is provided by two 12.3-inch Dual Touchscreens featuring Honda CONNECT with 'HERE' Navigation, Bluetooth, a 6-speaker DAB audio system, 'Android Auto' and 'Apple CarPlay' smartphone-mirroring, app integration and internet browsing. To this tally, the 'Advance' model adds an upgraded 8-speaker Premium Audio system with a dedicated hardwire amplifier, a heated windscreen, a heated steering wheel, a Centre Camera System, a 230V electric outlet, the Honda Parking Pilot system to steer you into spaces and the option of larger 17-inch wheels. Safety kit on both models runs to a Collision Mitigating Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Road Departure Mitigation, Lead Car Departure Notification, Adaptive Cruise Control and an Intelligent Speed Limiter which adapts to the limit signs you pass. To this, the 'Advance' variant adds a Blind Spot Monitor and a Cross Traffic Monitor.

Cost of Ownership

You'll want the WLTP-rated driving range figure possible from the 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery first: it's officially classified at up to 136 miles. This car has an AC charging specification of 6.6kW and a DC Charging spec of 100kW. As usual with an EV you can set charging times via the centre screen or an app (here called Honda+). And by the same means, pre-condition the car so that it's either cool or hot when you get into it. Fast charging at 100kW to 80% takes 30 minutes, while a 50kWh charger will complete the same thing in 36 minutes. A home charger in your garage will recharge in around four hours. Many customers will want to budget ahead for scheduled maintenance with fixed-price scheme called 'Five'. It includes five years' worth of maintenance, an extended warranty for this period and roadside assistance breakdown cover should the unexpected happen. This can be transferred to a new owner if you sell the car before the service plan has expired. Residual values are expected to be significantly better than most other EV small car segment rivals. And the three year 90,000 mile warranty is better than the package you get from many competitors too. In addition, surface corrosion is covered for three years, exhaust corrosion is covered for five years, chassis corrosion is covered for ten years and structural corrosion for twelve years.

Summary

Before the Honda e came along, only the smart fortwo EQ and the MINI Electric were able to offer something more charismatic and fun in the smallest end of the EV segment. And the firm ride that characterises those cars isn't really what you'd ideally want in an urban-based runabout. The Honda e is, for us, a better stab at what a more individualistic car of this kind should be. It's modern, yet memorable, both inside and out, and little touches like the clever fascia screens and the virtual door mirrors provide the required cutting-edge feel that early adopters of technology tend to like. Quite a lot of the motor industry thinks that buyers want full-electric vehicles to look and feel just like the combustion-engined ones they left behind. Honda has a different perspective. Throughout its history, this innovative Japanese brand usually has had. Thank goodness for that.