Honda's new electric car - the e:NY1 - may be its second EV but it’s the company’s first attempt to break into the volume end of that market.
The new car is a variant on the current HR-V small crossover and it should be coming to Ireland by the end of this year. The company is claiming a range of 412 kilometres in testing, with a 68.8 kW battery.
It will have large wheels and a short front overhang. Honda is promising generous levels of space and comfort as a result of "clever packaging" of the electric drivetrain components.
Honda is also going for a big interior statement with a 15" infotainment touch screen as standard, which will put the car into the Tesla and Volvo league for displays. Thankfully, though, the centre console will also have "a simple layout of easily accessible buttons". Other manufacturers should take note of this, preoccupied as they are with sliders and touch and swipe functions that can be both frustrating and distracting in equal measure.
The e:NY 1 will also wireless 'phone charging and "multiple storage options".
Built on a new EV platform, the car is designed with a high rigidity body structure, a low centre of gravity, and "carefully managed"under-floor aerodynamics to improve the driving experience and also, presumably, to add to its battery efficiency. Honda says the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in about 45 minutes, as long as the charger is a fast one.
