Here are the full details of the adorable Honda E city car, which pairs retro styling with a modern electric motor for about $30,000

Tim Levin

Jan 30, 2020, 02:14 IST

Honda

Honda E.

This week, Honda released full details and technical specifications for its new E electric hatchback.
The city car will only be sold in Europe, and is set to hit dealerships this summer.
Honda plans to release several electrified vehicles to the European market over the next few years, and aims to only sell electrified cars there by 2022.
The base model of the E cranks out 134 horsepower and 232 foot-pounds of torque, according to Honda, and travels 138 miles on a single charge.
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The tiny, all-electric Honda E city car caught everyone's eye long before mass production was a topic of conversation, with its puzzling combination of retro styling and new-wave technology.

And now, we know just what exactly will go into production.

Honda announced the full specs and features for its upcoming E electric vehicle - which it will begin selling in Europe this summer - on Monday, after debuting the car and its power specs in September of last year. The E will compete with other compact, city-oriented EVs like the Fiat 500e and the Mini Cooper SE.

By rolling out the E this year, Honda is starting to make headway on its goal of electrifying its entire European lineup by 2022. According to Monday's announcement, Honda plans to launch six electrified models in Europe over the next three years, including the E, a hybrid Jazz (known in the US as the Fit), a "stylish SUV," and another battery-electric vehicle.

Although the E won praise in the American press for its resemblance to its original prototype and its cutesy, ambitious retro styling - both unusual in today's car market, where styling is rather safe - Honda only plans to sell the new model in Europe. A Honda executive told Jalopnik last year that the company had initially intended to bring the tiny hatchback stateside, but that those plans were ultimately scrapped due to fears of low demand.

Since the production version of the Honda E was first unveiled in September, we've learned a great deal about the new EV's pricing, design, tech features, and on-road performance. This week's release, and the first-drive reviews that published along with it, complete the picture.

Here's what we know about the 2020 Honda E.

Honda will sell the vehicle in two trims, with the upgraded Advance trim offering optional larger alloy wheels, increased power output, and extra tech.

The Honda E Advance trim has a claimed 152 horsepower and 232 foot-pounds of torque.

That combination propels the car from 0 to 62 mph in 8.3 seconds, according to Honda.

The base Honda E claims 134 horsepower, the same amount of torque as the Advance, and a claimed time of nine seconds to get from 0 to 62 mph.

Both trims feature rear-wheel drive and a 50:50 weight distribution.

The E comes standard with a single-pedal control system that allows drivers to accelerate, slow down, and stop using just the accelerator pedal. Honda developed the feature to improve driving experience in stop-and-go city traffic.

A tight, 4.3-meter turning radius helps the E maneuver in tight city streets.

The E comes in at roughly 153 inches in length, about a foot longer than a Fiat 500 and roughly the same size as a two-door Mini Hardtop.

While parking shouldn't be much of an issue due to the E's small footprint, the Advance trim has the available Honda Parking Pilot technology, a new feature that helps drivers find parking spots and automatically pulls into spaces.

It does so using four cameras and 12 sonar sensors.

Honda estimates that the E's Lithium-ion battery provides a range of approximately 138 miles, or 28 miles more than the recently unveiled Mini Cooper SE.

When plugged into a home AC connection, Honda claims the E will reach full charge in 18.8 hours. It charges up in 4.1 hours when connected to a standard AC charging station, Honda said.

The Honda E also comes with DC fast-charge capability, which allows drivers to reach an 80% charge in just half an hour.

Another standard feature is a side-camera mirror system, which replaces side mirrors with cameras that feed live video to screens on the dashboard. The US has long required actual mirrors, but is considering making camera systems legal.

Honda says the system improves aerodynamics and reduces blind spots by up to 50%.

Spanning the full width of the car’s interior are five high-resolution screens, including dual 12.3-inch touchscreen displays.

The car also comes standard with an HDMI input, which Honda says drivers can use to watch movies and videos while their E is charging.

Honda announced pricing for the E in September, saying the base model will start at roughly $32,500 at current exchange rates in Germany, while the Advance trim will start at about $35,800.

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