It was clear from the start: The Honda and (that’s the name) is a super cool, cute, fun little electric car… that will never see a lot of sales. Now Honda offers an even cooler, even more limited production version of the Honda e – the Honda e Limited Edition. I think if you shine in your niche, go more niche and shine even more!
The Honda e is actually the first Japanese car to win the “German Car of the Year” award – that is, the prize for the best vehicle on the German car market (not the best German car on the market, which would make it impossible for the Honda e to win the prize). limited range and size combined with not a particularly low price, the Honda e struggles to find buyers† It’s great to be cool. But you have to be a combination of cool, handy and affordable to find your way in many people’s garages. Steve Hanley explained in late 2020:
“Everyone admits that the Honda e is a beautiful caran engineer tour de force from TeamHonda. So what explains the poor sales? Range. The comparably priced Renault Zoe can go about 100 miles on a single battery charge than the Honda e. That’s no small difference, it’s a deal breaker for many people. There are plenty of manufacturers that focus on building cheap city cars for drivers who only drive a few kilometers a day† The Honda e should either cost less – make that one lot less money – or it needs more reach – make that one lot more reach. A larger battery is presumably in the works.”
Immediately range of 220 km (137 miles), you’re just not going to make it in today’s electric car market. And that’s its WLTP range rating! The range in the real world will often be even lower. Honda sold just over 4,000 Honda e electric cars in 2020, then just 3,752 in 2021. Even in Italy, who loves small electric carsthe Honda e is not sold much.
Honda turns it differently. “Following the overwhelming success of its award-winning all-electric city EV, Honda has a new Honda e Limited Edition, which offers unique exterior styling for enhanced, distinctive individuality.” I think the new Honda e Limited Edition looks really cool and it’s a nice electric car I would do love to have in my garage (if I had room for more than one car), but I assume the real reason for the release is to try and charge a premium for a slightly modified Honda e to get a little more of its money back available on the low volume electric model. Color me skeptical.
Honda e Limited Edition. Image courtesy of Honda.
Do I encourage you not to buy the Honda e Limited Edition? Certainly not! If 130 miles of range for £38,120 works for you, go have some fun!
Also keep in mind that only 50 units are sold in all of Europe, so you better act fast if you want to be one of the 50 owners.
“Since its launch in Europe and Japan in 2020, the Honda e has received critical acclaim worldwide, praised for its innovative design and forward-thinking technology,” added Honda. “It has won numerous awards, including World Urban Car of The Year and the Red Dot Design Awards.” This is your chance to own an even more exclusive version of this niche electric car.
“Just before his victory at the FORMULA 1 ROLEX GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL’EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2022, Max Verstappen drove a Honda e Limited Edition in nearby Dozza, internationally known for its eclectic street art. The reigning World Drivers’ Champion was impressed by the electric performance and distinctive style of the Honda e Limited Edition as he maneuvered through the narrow and winding streets of the medieval village.” Of course he was.
“The Honda e Limited Edition is simply beautiful,” said Verstappen. “It has a funky look, a compact design and is fun to drive. It’s a great electric city vehicle.”
Is he buying a Honda e Limited Edition? One would like to know.
If you want to buy the Honda e Limited Edition, please note that it is now on sale in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
Honda e Limited Edition. Image courtesy of Honda.
Honda e Limited Edition. Image courtesy of Honda.
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