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Honda Releases Full Details for Honda e Electric City Car

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2020 Honda e electric car driving outside
Photo: Honda

Honda has finally released the details for the new e electric city car that has been putting modern hatchback designs to shame ever since it was first introduced as the Urban EV Concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Despite its lovely retro style and all-electric powertrain, the Honda e is really a total winner for tech geeks. Boasting dual 12.3-inch screens, interior cameras that act like side-view mirrors and a wood-trimmed dashboard, it boasts the kind of exciting, high-tech cockpit you sometimes see in concept vehicles but know won’t ever make it to production. Except this one did.

When you’re stationary and the parking brake is engaged, the system turns into a veritable entertainment center. You can watch Netflix or play games, and there’s even an HDMI port and 230-volt socket in addition to the usual USB ports and 12-volt connection. Got time to kill? Just plug in your PlayStation or Xbox. If you enable the Wi-Fi hotspot, you can even play online. Beats slicing fruit on the small screen you carry in your pocket.


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2020 Honda e dashboard
Photo: Honda

But what about the electric driving? The Honda e electric car develops 134 horsepower and 315 Newton-meters of torque. It has a 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery and a range of 220 kilometers. Honda says you can charge up to 80 percent of the battery in half an hour using a CCS2 DC rapid charger, and top speed is 145 km/h.

Why all of the metric units? Sadly, because when this car hits dealerships this summer, it won’t be in the United States. It will be sold only in Europe, where Honda aims to sell only electrified cars by 2022, in part because of the stricter regulations, but probably also because Europeans don’t mind being seen behind the wheel of small, electrified hatchbacks.

Honda did originally have plans to bring the e stateside, especially after it was praised for resembling the original prototype. Eventually, these plans were scrapped them due to fears of low demand. And that’s just too bad.


Related: Find a Honda that’s actually sold in the U.S.