It’s frustrating that, before we write something on Honda e EV, we have to convey the news of its discontinuation.
This compact mini-urban hatchback has been exclusively sold in Japan since 2020 and in Europe from 2020 to 2023. When you look at it, the all-electric Honda e EV is more of a celebrity.
However, don’t let the look confuse you. This mini-concept car could have cost you a million dollars. However, once revealed the production version doesn’t quite hold the same value as advertised.
We must applaud the attempt! The Honda e EV certainly promotes an interesting visual on the outside than other small EVs of its time, such as the Renault Zoe, Mini Electric, and Mazda MX-30. Also, Honda has the commercial launch of the electric SUV – Prologue to make this 2024.
Continue reading to learn more about Honda e EV, and why it’s been discontinued this year!
Hot Picks
- Honda e EV production is to be halted from January 2024.
- No new orders have reportedly been taken in Europe and Japan.
- Honda e EV only had a short time for three years, from 2020 to 2023.
- In its standard European market, the Honda e received 4 stars from Euro NCAP in 2020.
- Despite its size and shape, the e-EV was quite efficient and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in only 8.3 seconds.
- The small Honda e hatchback won the 2021 World Urban Car of the Year.
- The e Honda had only one electric motor, enough to derive 134 HP or 152 HP.
The Quirky Honda e Electric Hatchback Is No Longer to Be Continued in 2024
The e-EV, being a prominent small electric hatchback in Japan, is about to meet its end this January. Honda has officially stopped taking any orders for this electric hatchback and is all set to conclude its production and promotion in Japan and Europe.
As for the models that are still in production will soon end in the upcoming weeks. Take a look at the official website of Honda, the announcement came from Honda’s website with full confirmation.
We are reciting a statement on the Japanese website, it says “production of the Honda e will end in January 2024. Honda e will be discontinued once the production run is sold out.”
As per the statement, Honda stopped taking new orders for the e hatchbacks and pulled it out from different markets. However, Honda will sell out only a few e EVs that are still in production. After this, we won’t have a trace of the e EV, it will soon become a legacy.
Reason Behind Discontinuation of Honda e EV
We don’t yet have a clear reason behind the discontinuation of the Honda e EV. Honda officials did confirm that the all-electric e Honda was indeed a successful model and brought new leads and customers to the brand. The small hatchback was unique and fit the taste of a different segment of customers in Japan and Europe.
Despite what Honda said, the Honda e failed to meet the high expectations and fill the sales target, it failed in both! That’s one of the few reasons why Honda e was only continued in Japan and European countries, and not in any other subcontinent.
As per professionals, the culprit behind this failure is the limited range of the small hatchback and its small size. Not everybody would prefer a mini hatchback to support a family trip!
For instance, it’s ideal for short trips or individual rides for 2-3 people. But a long drive with luggage onboard may not be the cup of tea for e Honda. Besides, other competitors offered e models of a similar range with more space and equal prices. That defeats the Honda e at this point.
As per our speculation, the EV market is not limited! It took only 4 years for the electric cars to reach this edge and grow significantly. Honda e EV is a small hatchback and not alone in the saturated market of competition.
There are plenty of rivals on board with better functionalities, more space, and less price. To begin with the competition, the Honda e EV doesn’t fit into this competition.
It is a bit expensive and comes with a limited range, which doesn’t play much of a supportive role in the EV industry. That’s why Honda had to discontinue the e model to focus on the latest models. Here are a few to-the-point marks behind the discontinuation of the Honda e EV,
- Another reason factor behind the failure could be the time of release. We mean, from late 2019 to 2020, it was the COVID-19 pandemic era worldwide. Whether it’s Japan or Europe, the world came to a standstill.
- Following this, e Honda sales were dull in 2020. In 2021, it was even a disaster. It was the primary goal of Honda to sell around 1,000 units annually in the Japanese market and 10,000 units annually in the European market.
In 2020, only 4028 units were sold in Europe and 427 units were sold in Japan. In the following year, the numbers dropped significantly. Europe met a sales of 3,752 units of e Honda. However, the sales numbers rose to 721 units for Japan in 2021 and 371 in 2022 respectively.
Since then, there was no comeback for Europe, it was a dead zone for the mini hatchback. The e Honda wasn’t scheduled for other EV platforms or to other countries after the devastating reduction in sales in Europe. - Here are two of the primary factors to blame for the failure of e Honda. However, another non-popular opinion is the e Honda is incredibly small. For some people, it may fit the favorite category. However, many find the Honda e dull and less exciting.
Honda is genuinely known for leaving a family-friendly impression on most of their vehicles. Young drivers and family drivers love Honda because the cars are affordable, decent, and moderate.
However, Honda couldn’t play the win-win card with the e Honda. Instead, the 222 km / 137 miles per charge ultimately led to dissatisfaction among the Europeans and Japanese consumers.
Although the e model failed to meet demand and cope with its competitors, it did one thing right. The all-electric Honda e EV has set the footprint for Honda electric vehicles and pushed Honda’s plan forward with electric powertrains in Europe, besides the USA.
Furthermore, the conclusion of the e Honda doesn’t bring any end to Honda’s EV program. Instead, Honda is preparing seriously for the all-new Honda Prologue, learning from its mistakes. Earlier this year, Honda revealed the new e: Ny1 SUV set for Europe, with more models currently in progress.
Other Honda EVs in Lineup:
- The e: Ny1 all-electric SUV had a teaser in the European markets. Additionally, the Japanese automaker will also introduce a set of new models in the coming years.
- In India, Honda has officially confirmed an electric SUV in the form of a recently launched Elevate SUV. It is scheduled to arrive by 2026. It will also be exported globally.
- Furthermore, the Prologue, Honda’s first all-electric SUV is preparing for a nationwide release. Pre-sale campaigns for the Prologue have already started. The first lot of Prologues will arrive for sale in early 2024. Learn more about why you should pre-order the Honda Prologue.
With exciting EV models on the lineup, Honda is committed to replacing all the ICE-based models by 2040. However, whatever large-scale models show up, the quirky, and lovely Honda e would be one of a kind and tough to forget!
Farewell to Honda e EV: The Small Stylish Hatchback
Honda e EV was first introduced in 2019. It was one of Honda’s first EVs dedicated to an all-new platform. The model specifically served Japan and Europe, but never really got out of these two countries!
This is one of the primary reasons why we have very few covers on the internet with the e EV not being in the hype. However, it’s never really a total failure, the all-electric vehicle won the 2021 World Urban Car of the Year.
A Throwback to Honda e EV: Key Highlights
The small hatchback was Honda’s first committed battery electric four-wheeler for the special EV platform. It was ideal for a friendly ride, but not enough for long hectic rides.
Overview of e Honda’s key features,
- It is a fully electric vehicle powered solely by an electric motor, with fast charging capability. The e Honda is 1,512 mm in height (unladen), 1,752 mm in width, and 3,894 mm in length.
- It offers up to 222 km / 137 miles on a full single charge. You can cover a certain distance without having to recharge. The 35.5 kWh battery delivers high capacity and can fill 80% of the charge in only 31 minutes.
- Similar to regular hatchbacks, you have a touchscreen infotainment system (Honda CONNECT 9” Touchscreen) and smartphone integration with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Honda Sensing Suit is available in this small hatchback also. It can read the road signs for better driving conditions before you can.
- The all-electric e EV doesn’t use traditional mirrors, instead, the hatchback uses digital cameras for modern aerodynamics. A series of screens along the dashboard is really a piece of work. It will, however, take some time getting used to.
- Although small, the hatchback cabin is higher and class-leading. It offers up to 861 liters of boot capacity. The console is heavily impressive for us, it’s packed with three integrated screens atop the dashboard. It’s a fair bit of a tech!
- The all-electric Honda e EV had two variants – Standard Honda e & Honda e Advance. Both variants offer 232 lb-ft of torque.
- You have a choice between 16” and 17” wheels. This supermini hatchback drives the rear wheels. If you don’t select it, you will receive the 16” alloy wheel as standard.
- The interior is just lovely. The ample LED light will treat your eyes with a retro vibe. It’s overall a light and airy feel.
- You have an environment-friendly driving experience with the e Honda with the sporty and powerful feel. The Honda e is specially built for the city.
Honda e EV was ultimately developed for short trips around the town for a break. Four people can comfortably sit in this mini SUV.
You can’t help but appreciate its responsive engine design and mini body. The trouble started with the price! There’s no way of getting out of it.
The supermini 5-door hatchback has a Recommended Retail Price (RRP) range of £37,395 to £37,395.
Before this, in September 2019, Honda announced that the price would start from €29,470 for the base model with a 100 kW motor. Honda e EV offered either 100 kW or 113 kW, based on its variants.
Europe and Japan, both are already technically rich in the vehicle industry. So having a supermini electric hatchback over 30,000 Euros doesn’t seem convenient. Things would have been different if Honda set the MSRP around €20,000 instead of such a higher price figure. Or, the mileage coverage of this mini e Honda was above 300 miles!
In a nutshell, it’s not really a convenient car for long-term use. It may fit your sense of style and luxury! But not ideally reasonable for durable and long-drive use. It’s just an intercity urban car.
You can use it as a secondary vehicle, but not a primary!
Summary
The e Honda was an insane idea for most European drivers. It may fit the class and style. But the 220 km range for over $30,000 is irrational for most drivers. Spend a few more bucks, and you can actually switch to Tesla, Ford, Toyota, or Hyundai – both technically and virtually.
So, why spend a big amount of money for only 220 Km mile coverage? Perhaps it was launched on a test basis. We mean, look at the years of experimentation – only 3 years! Honda left us with a bit out of options here.
As everything is getting expensive and out of hand these days, it’s better if you make a car that everybody needs, not want! Otherwise, it happens what will happen – people will simply ignore it!
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