Automotive

Performance figures released for the super-cute Honda e

Performance figures released for the super-cute Honda e
We just wanna hug this thing
We just wanna hug this thing
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The Honda e's digital dash
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The Honda e's digital dash
You can get wallpapers for your car! Of course you can!
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You can get wallpapers for your car! Of course you can!
The interior is as unassuming as the outside
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The interior is as unassuming as the outside
The Honda e will have a badge on it saying Honda e
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The Honda e will have a badge on it saying Honda e
We just wanna hug this thing
5/6
We just wanna hug this thing
Honda has nailed a really cute design here
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Honda has nailed a really cute design here
View gallery - 6 images

Honda has been drip-feeding us with nuggets of information about the Honda e electric city car for nearly two years now. We've seen the concept car. We've seen the electric skateboard chassis. We've seen the funky digital mirror-cameras. We've seen the wide digital dash and interior. We've even seen some of the pre-sales figures.

Now, Honda is putting us out of our misery with some actual specifications for this thing. Not that it really needed to, the e is set to be a huge success simply based on its adorably humble looks. It's a tiny little electric urban runabout that's so mercilessly, relentlessly, heart-rendingly cute that I may personally start burning things down if it doesn't get a Hello Kitty edition and optional eyelashes for the headlights.

Here are the numbers: you can get 100 or 113-kilowatt versions (134 or 152 horsepower), and both versions will enjoy a peak torque of 315 Nm (232 lb-ft). It'll feel zippy, but not quite as zippy as a Nissan Leaf, taking around 8 seconds to "I think I can, I think I can" its way to 100 km/h (62 mph).

You'll get just 35.5 kWh of battery, but Honda claims that'll be good for up to 220 km (137 miles), and nobody's pretending this thing is a tourer. You'll use it around town, plug it in at home or at the office, and probably never need to use its ability to fast charge from 0-80 percent in 30 minutes.

The interior is as unassuming as the outside
The interior is as unassuming as the outside

There'll be "OK Honda" voice controls, which the company says will result in "natural conversations" and access to a range of online services. If you can't bear being away from it, there's a Honda e phone app that gives you a condition report, security and location monitoring, and the ability to heat and cool your car remotely. It's basically a ride-on Tamagotchi. Your phone is also your car key.

The Honda e will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and we feel there's really only one other piece of information we'll need: does the horn make a happy little "beep beep" sound? It better. Stay tuned, we'll ask the tough questions and get to the bottom of this.

Source: Honda

View gallery - 6 images
5 comments
5 comments
Bob Stuart
Please let us know if the physical numbers ever leak out - size, weight, carrying capacity, ground clearance, etc. I'd also be fascinated to learn where it will be sold.
DaveWesely
Undersized motors and battery size are truly a disappointment. This may have been acceptable 5-10 years ago, but no more. It seems Honda can't bear to let go of its ICE technology. Sad, really, as they were such a good car company.
nick101
This is probably all the car most urban and suburban people need. The price is the main thing, if it's the same price, or more, than a compact SUV then it will fail.
IvanWashington
i love the woodgrain dash, ultra luxe. i DON'T like the big wagon wheels and rubberband tires which promise nothing but a harsh bumpy ride over anything like real roads.
sargasso
EXCELLENT compromises. Just what I would have voted for.
Reminiscent of the original mini but transported forward in technology and time.
I do hope it really is the 5 door it looks like.