No replacement for Honda E as brand shifts focus to SUVs

Honda volition not present immoderate cars the size of the Honda E for the foreseeable future, instead focusing connected presenting itself arsenic an SUV-driven marque with the accomplishment of the caller e:Ny1.

The firm’s seven-strong line-up presently features four SUVs – the Honda CR-V, the smaller Honda ZR-V, Honda HR-V and the caller electrical e:Ny1, launched past week arsenic the car maker’s archetypal electrical SUV successful Europe.

Honda’s determination comes contempt the occurrence of its smaller hybrid hatchbacks – the Civic and the Jazz. Speaking astatine the e:Ny1’s motorboat lawsuit successful Norway, Rebecca Adamson, caput of cars for Honda UK, confirmed the marque would travel the demands of the market. 

“There won’t beryllium much cars the size of the Honda E. I tin accidental that confidently,” Adamson told Autocar. “The marketplace request successful the UK is the SUV sector, truthful that’s wherefore the absorption is there. It’s a market-led merchandise line-up. As agelong arsenic that’s wherever the marketplace is, we volition proceed to beryllium SUV driven.”

Honda is pinning its hopes connected the caller e:Ny1 electrical SUV, which joins the firm’s EV line-up alongside the smaller Honda E. The marque expects it to signifier 22% of its income successful the UK by the extremity of 2024, equivalent to astir 7500 cars.

Adamson believes Honda is successful a steadfast presumption acknowledgment to the freshness of its line-up. The oldest car successful Honda's scope was launched 3 years ago. 

Adamson said: “We’ve arguably had a constricted range, with conscionable 4 cars successful the line-up. Now we’re up to seven or 8 if you gaffe the [Honda Civic] Type R and E in.

“We present person a comparatively broad scope but it’s inactive simple. There’s not a monolithic fig of derivatives. And from a retailer perspective, there’s thing they get excited astir much than a caller car launch. It’s ever bully to person thing caller to speech astir and spell to customers with.”

The bid books for the e:Ny1 volition unfastened aboriginal this year, earlier the archetypal cars are delivered to customers successful January 2024. The SUV offers 256 miles of scope from a 68.8kWh battery, paired to an electrical centrifugal that produces 201bhp and 229lb ft of torque.