Honda has finally revealed the full battery and powertrain details of its all-electric Honda e, which has been teasing the motoring community since it first appeared as a concept at motorshows over two years ago.
While it has been confirmed the vehicle will make it into full production later this year, and more detailed information about its interior have slowly been revealed, what was actually going to power the funky little car, what range it would have and charging details remained a mystery.
The agony is over now though as Honda has unveiled the details of the highly-anticipated compact car.
Designed from the ground up, the Honda e is the first Honda to be built on a dedicated EV platform. The car will feature a water-cooled 35.5kWh lithium-ion, high-capacity battery that can be charged using either Type 2 AC connection or a CCS2 DC rapid charge.
The Honda e will be capable of 125 miles, which for a car this size was what many had predicted, and its fast-charge capability will be able to get 80% charge in 30 minutes.
The charging port is integrated into the hood, with LED lighting visible through a glass panel to illuminate the port for the driver and highlight the battery charging status.
Phil Webb, head of car at Honda UK, commented: “Confirmation of the chassis, platform, battery and charging details of the Honda e marks a key milestone in our preparations to unveil the final production version of the model later this year. I’m looking forward to seeing the Honda e Prototype in action for the first time in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.”
With the car generating masses of interest (Honda has already received 31,000 expressions of interest across Europe with over 9,000 coming from the UK) from looks alone, details of its driving dynamics should also excite further.
The rear-wheel drive compact car has its battery positioned centrally at a low level within the wheelbase under the floor of the car for a 50:50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity.
While its powertrain details are another step towards finally seeing the Honda e hit the road, what still remains a question mark is its price tag. It is expected prices for the vehicle to range upwards from around US$30,000.
