Has Honda just revealed its next cheap EV in Japan?

Auto Express

a day ago

Honda's getting back in on the action at the entry-point of EV motoring with its Super EV concept. But, don't be fooled by the 'concept car' label, because the Japanese brand will launch the Super EV in the UK and Europe at some point in 2026, joining the ranks of other funky low-cost EVs such as the Fiat Grande Panda, Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster. Advertisement - Article continues below
But the Honda Super EV won't be coming out of nowhere, because it'll be based directly on the new N-One e: recently revealed for the Japanese market. There will be changes, but in effect the domestic-market EV gives us a great insight of what to expect when the new model arrives next year.
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The Honda Super EV is a small, urban-focused electric car that previews a successor brand's former EV: the fascinating, but slow-selling Honda e. It'll be based on a tiny Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) model called the N-One, which Honda has just revealed in its latest all-electric variant called the N-One e:. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
However, whereas the Japanese-market model has been designed to comply with the stringent Kei Car regulations that limit external dimensions, among other things, the Super EV will feature its own, wider bodywork that should make it more suited for European road conditions.
Honda Japan has only revealed limited information on the JDM N-One e:, but has confirmed that the model will achieve around 167 miles on a charge, and feature vehicle-to-home (V-2-H) capability. Advertisement - Article continues below
Beyond this, the new model's technical details are mostly a mystery, but the N-One e: is expected to share key elements with the N-Van e: that was launched in 2024. This features a 63bhp electric motor that powers the front wheels, but there's no information on battery capacity. It is capable of accepting a 50kW DC fast charge, though, and takes 4.5 hours at 6kW for a full charge.
Inside, the Honda N-One e: has a minimalist cabin, with a simple, practical and functional dashboard that places all the key elements within easy reach of the driver. The dash and bonnet have been designed to allow for the best view out possible, although the base model's screen-less interior will almost certainly be specific to Japan.
Other clever elements, such as the full-width shelf on the dashboard and a place to keep your wallet or purse in the door card, are a nice touch, and the second-row seats can fold and slide; you can even lift up the seat squabs independently for tall objects as you can in the larger Jazz.
The Super EV's design is clearly based on the N-One e:, thanks to a similar boxy silhouette, flat bonnet, round headlights and upright rear end. However, without the need to slip into Kei Car regulations, Honda has given the Super EV considerably wider wheelarches, giving it a much more confident and sporty appearance. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
There are also some cooling and aerodynamics ducts at the front, along with what looks like a single charging cap mounted between the headlights. This is different to the double openings on the N-One e:, which separates the car's charging point from the V-2-H output.
Honda says the Super Concept has been 'designed as an A-segment compact EV that realises both practical usability and the 'joy of driving' only Honda can offer'. It's claimed to leverage 'a sporty and highly responsive driving experience distinctive to compact vehicles', to provide an 'uplifting, heart-pounding driving experience', says Honda.
Little else is known about the specific technical capabilities of the Honda Super EV at this stage, but it fits neatly with our scoop from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, when we reported on the firm's plans to launch a replacement for its now-defunct electric Honda e city car, which was removed from sale in 2023.
At the time, Honda's chief officer of automobile operations Katsushi Inoue told us the brand was 'at the development stage' and that 'eventually, in the future, [Honda] will talk about smaller vehicles'.
It turns out that the 'future' has arrived, because just half a year on from CES, the company has shown its possible rival to the latest MINI Cooper and Fiat 500e, as well as budget newcomers such as the BYD Dolphin Surf and Citroen e-C3.
Inoue told us at CES that a future Honda sub-£30,000 EV would need to sit outside the brand's new seven-car 0 Series platform, confirming that the architecture wouldn't support anything smaller than a Honda Civic-sized family hatchback. 'We are thinking about it away from 0 Series,' he said.
Of the seven cars confirmed under the 0 Series plan between now and 2030, the SUV and saloon will reach global markets from next year, with a baby SUV to be revealed in 2026 – at this stage only confirmed for Asian markets, although Europe is a possibility. A larger seven-seat SUV in 2027 is likely to be only for the US market.
Beyond that, a small SUV is expected in 2028, a year ahead of another smaller SUV, plus a compact saloon by the end of the decade.
Although China and Japan are the target markets for the smallest SUV coming next year, Honda's BEV general manager Mitsuru Kariya admitted that he would like to see the baby electric SUV come to European markets as well.
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