Honda e production to end in January 2024 due to high prices, lacklustre sales


Honda has officially announced that production for its cute and cheerful Honda e battery electric vehicle (BEV) will end in January next year (2024). The adorable-looking EV first debuted in 2020 and has thus far been sold in Europe, as well as its home market, Japan where it’s priced at 4.95 million yen (approx. RM159,867).

Since the start, the little Honda e gained quite some attention from the public across the world due to its unique and eye-catching design. But due to its high prices, electric range that is below average, deficient sales, together with global inflation added in, we have to wave goodbye to Honda’s adorable EV sadly.

On the outside, the Honda e is fitted with a pair of cute-looking LED headlights to go with its overall design, and it looks very much like a puppy’s eyes, don’t you think? Its retro and futuristic look is complemented by a pair of side-view cameras, flush door handles, and a sky roof.

Powering the Honda e is a rear-mounted single-motor setup that can produce 136 hp (metric) and 154 hp (metric), depending on the variant chosen. Its torque output on the other hand is rated at 315 Nm across the range.

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This allows the Honda e to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.3 seconds, and achieve a top speed of 145 km/h. Thanks to its 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Honda e is said to be able to carry you as far as 259 km (WLTC) on a single charge.

When the battery runs out of juice, it can be charged at a maximum rate of 22 kW, with AC charging. This can help replenish the car from flat to full in 4.1 hours. The Honda e can also handle DC charging at a maximum rate of 50 kW, which can help juice up the car from 0m to 80% in 30 minutes.

Inside, the Honda e comes with a total of five screens, which span across the entire dashboard. This includes an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, two 12.3-inch central displays that can be operated independently, and two 6-inch side displays that act as visual displays for the car’s futuristic side view cameras.

That’s not all though, as there is one more screen up there that acts as the car’s rear-view mirror. Also thrown in is the brand’s Honda Connect telematics suite that comes with Garmin Navigation, along with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

Depending on the variant chosen, the Honda e can be had with advanced safety features such as lane departure warning (LDW), lane keep assist system (LKA), low speed following (LSF), traffic sign recognition system (TSR), and even the parking pilot auto parking system.

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