Honda goes small with first all-electric car

27 / 08 / 2020

• news
• Sustainable Development

As many automakers bet on sedans and SUVs in the switch to electric vehicles, Honda has decided smaller is better for its first-ever full-electric car.

The Honda e, released in Europe earlier this month, is a model aimed at city driving.

That contrasts with Tesla, whose Model 3 sedan dominates the battery EV market, and others such as Audi and Hyundai that have focused on SUVs with long driving ranges.

High battery costs have kept EVs at the premium end of the car market, and many automakers are developing bigger, all-purpose models, some of which can drive as far as 570 km (354 miles) on a single charge.

The Honda e, however, has a battery capacity roughly half that of the Model 3, driving just 280 km per charge.

“Most EVs use large capacity batteries, but often, much of that capacity goes unused during city driving,” said Tomofumi Ichinose, chief engineer of the Honda e, told reporters earlier this week.

“We question whether larger vehicles are appropriate for urban areas and believe that smaller is a better option for cities.”