The RWD Guts Of The Honda E Have Been Revealed In Full
While Honda isn’t quite ready to show the full production version of its e Prototype, the Japanese manufacturer has kindly detailed all of the bits and pieces it’ll have under the skin.
Honda’s first-ever fully electric vehicle - simply called the ‘e’ - has a 35.5kWh water-cooled battery pack, which sits neatly below the cabin floor. It powers a motor unit at the back, which propels the rear wheels exclusively. Yep, the e is rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, meaning buyers can bore people about how their cute electric supermini is ‘just like a Porsche 911’.
While we probably shouldn’t expect the Honda e to be capable of big, lurid drifts (if we ever get one on a skid pan we’ll certainly have a go), but it should be a decent thing to drive. With the battery pack sat low and between the axles, the e has a 50:50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity.
The e has been given an independent suspension setup, and although Honda hasn’t specified, it looks to be a conventional MacPherson strut front/multi-link rear layout in the supplied infographic.
You’ll be able to charge the e using either a regular AC port or a ‘CCS2 DC’ 350kW rapid charger, with the access point under a flap on the bonnet. Hooked up to the latter system, it’ll be possible to juice the pack to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. With the batteries fully charged, the e is good for a range of “over 125 miles.”
The production car shouldn’t look all that different from the prototype, which Honda officials claim is 95 per cent production ready. It’ll be revealed soon before going on sale in Europe late 2019, but be warned - the Honda e will not be cheap. It’ll be priced at a premium, closer to the £34,445 BMW i3 than the likes of the Renault Zoe and Smart ForTwo Electric Drive.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Interesting car.
It’s so cute 🥰
I hate it. It looks like a panda with Down syndrome. Shame as the concept was so good
No U
This is the kind of electric car I like. People won’t complain about performance because that’s not meant to be the point.
Now that’s a handsome EV, not too flashy like a Tesla nor too dull like any other EV.
I’ll give it a month until someone pops a Tesla engine into one
Engine?
I do love me a fun little hatchback, although my current commute is 110 miles round trip, so I could barely make it home on that range let alone if I have any errands to run. Obviously this is meant for more urban commuting, but not feasible for my lifestyle
by any chance
do you live in the middle of nowhere?
All it takes is a roundabout and cobblestone or rain for it to slide
I think this is going to be great.
Perfect, now I know what to take out for a k series swap