Despite its cute face, the little electric Honda e will have no descendants. Honda UK managing director Rebecca Adamson has confirmed that the Honda e will be phased out in favour of SUVs, which now account for the bulk of sales. The new e:Ny1 will be the first to launch this offensive in January 2024.
A timid commercial career
Launched on the European market at the beginning of 2020, the e has had a disappointing sales career, with fewer than 2,000 units sold on the Old Continent last year. While its pretty face is openly inspired by that of the first Civic, its technology falls well short of the competition. Its range of 220 km proved far too short, because of a small 35.5 kWh battery and particularly high energy consumption on the motorway.
In an interview with Autocar, Adamson admits that “there will be no more cars the size of the Honda e” and that the brand will “concentrate on SUVs as long as there is demand in the market”. Honda’s current range consists of six vehicles, to which the e:Ny1 will soon be added. Six vehicles is not a lot, but Adamson argues that Honda is in a strong position today with only recent vehicles.
Retirement around 2026
Unlike many European manufacturers, the Japanese brand has not multiplied its models by creating a plethora of variants. And that’s precisely Honda’s strategy: to concentrate on existing vehicles and make targeted improvements. The Honda e will temporarily coexist with the e:Ny1 before finally retiring around 2025-2026.
4
That’s just sad.
It genuinely is sad
Nooo Honda nooo, this is not right