Honda's new e Prototype is an all-electric city car that will go into production later this year.
Honda rolled out its vision for an all-electric “city car” at the Geneva Motor Show, and like many of its competitors, it’s got a unique exterior design that helps set it apart from an expanding group of small, functional and efficient vehicles.
The three-door hatchback, which Honda has dubbed the e Prototype, has been shown before and continues to generate chatter about its cutesy, almost anthropomorphic, looks. Honda suggests that the car will go into production later this year.
No pricing has been set for the new car, it will travel about 200 km, or 124 miles, on a single charge. It can also be recharged to 80% in just 30 minutes, the company notes. However, how much of the unique, cutesy design will remain is the question.
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Things like the pop out door handles are likely to be gone in the production version. The interior of the retro-looking vehicle was refined a bit more for the Geneva show, and features up-to-date technology that makes the concept, look very real world.
The e Prototype gains extra interior space by pushing each wheel out as far as possible.
“To keep occupants engaged with their connected lifestyles, the intuitive and customizable dual screen horizontal display features a range of intelligent applications and services,” Honda notes.
“This sophisticated high-end interface has been designed for ultimate usability and shifts the car beyond being a means of transportation to become fully integrated into modern everyday life.”
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The e Prototype also features “trademark” Honda driving dynamics with a sporty rear-wheel drive configuration. As mentioned earlier, the production version will be unveiled later this year, but customers can register for updates on Honda’s website.
In fact, eager beavers and early adopters can place a reservation for the car in selected European markets in early summer. To date Honda says it has received 15,000 registrations of interest for the Honda e Prototype.
Honda's e Prototype is a rear-wheel drive EV that gets 124 miles on a charge.
The new city EV will help Honda with its new commitment, also announced during the show: to move 100% of its European sales to electrified powertrains by 2025. This new ambition builds on the brand’s 2017 aim of two-thirds of its sales to be electrified by 2025, and places it firmly at the forefront of Honda’s global electrification shift announced as part of its 2030 vision.
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Speaking at today’s press conference, Tom Gardner, senior vice president, Honda Motor Europe, said, “…since we made that first pledge in March 2017, the shift towards electrification has gathered pace considerably. Environmental challenges continue to drive demand for cleaner mobility. Technology marches on unrelenting and people are starting to shift their view of the car itself.”