Whether you like it or not, electric cars are here to stay. Unlike the first-generation electric cars (of the modern day) like the Honda Insight or General Motors EV1, which were all about efficiency, the new crop of electric cars are a lot of fun to drive. I have driven a few electric cars recently, unfortunately none of them were from Tesla, but I did enjoy the Jaguar I-Pace a lot.
More and more traditional automakers are starting to invest in electric cars and we’re starting to see more products on the market. The latest is the Honda e, yes that’s the car’s full name. The Honda e isn’t a performance oriented electric car; however, it makes up for the lack of performance in cuteness and practicality.
The Honda e uses retro styling for a futuristic technology, and I like it a lot. Unfortunately, it is currently only available in Europe (for now, hopefully it comes to the US and Canadian markets soon). The Honda e looks like something from the 1970’s or 1980’s, yet it packs the latest technology under the skin.
The Honda e features pop-out door handles, which seems to be the go-to design element on electric cars nowadays. The “e” also doesn’t come with door mirrors, which are replaced with rear-facing cameras.
The interior is full of a lot of touchscreens, maybe there is such a thing as too many screens.
The Honda e will be available with either a 100 kW (134 horsepower) or a 113 kW (152 horsepower) electric motors, producing 232 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels. Depending on the weight of the car, it should be quite fun to drive, especially the one with the bigger motor.
Sending power to the electric motor is a 35.5 kWh battery pack, with a 137-mile (220 kilometers) range. This should be more than enough range for daily runabouts around the city. With fast charging, the battery can be charged up to 80% in 30 minutes, no word on how long it takes to charge on a 120 or 240 V outlet.
The Honda e will have a starting price of €29,470 in Germany and £26,160 (or about $33,000 US), which might be a good deal if you can get government rebates with it. And like Tesla, Honda is taking reservations for the e in select European markets. Click here if you’re looking to reserve one of these little retro-futuristic cars.
