E, ain't it nice?
If you’re looking to make shopping trips more stylish and eco-friendly, you need the new Honda E, writes James Fossdyke. But don’t sell the Range Rover just yet
During the interminable months of lockdown, going to the shops became one of the biggest events of my week. I get cabin fever in a big way, and while lockdown shopping could be stressful at times, I relished the opportunity to leave the house. Sure, I could go for my daily stroll around the village, but that never had the comedy value of watching Karen get told off for failing to understand a one-way system.
Perhaps more importantly (for me, at least), it was also one of the few times we were allowed to drive. Having decided I definitely couldn’t class messing about in a sports car as “essential” or “exercise”, the weekly supermarket pilgrimage became something of a highlight. Firing up the car suddenly gave me the same thrill I felt as a 17-year-old, finally tasting the freedom of Cheshire’s roads.
But as my big, much-loved and highly wasteful petrol engine coughed into life, I couldn’t help but think the planet’s resources could be put to better use. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for petrol and diesel power (the internal combustion engine is among my favourite inventions) but fossil fuels are a finite resource, and surely it’s time we had a more efficient way of getting to the shops? Then we’d have more petrol left over for having fun.
This month, I think I’ve found the battery-powered, eco-friendly answer. It’s called the Honda E (a name that must have taken at least 20 seconds to dream up) and it’s the cute, futuristic, electric city car you see before you, resplendent in mucky grey. Other, much better colours are available, including a rather brave hi-vis green/yellow/bogey colour, and a stunning metallic blue.
No matter which colour you choose, the E still looks great. It somehow manages to be retro and sci-fi and minimalist all at once, which is no mean feat when you consider how little space the designers had to play with. The E might be a five-door hatchback, but it sure as hell isn’t a big one. It’s only very slightly larger than a Fiat 500.
Keeping the dimensions tight was always part of the plan, to such an extent that the E doesn’t even come with door mirrors. Not only would they make the car wider, but the extra drag would make it less efficient. Instead, Honda has fitted little cameras in pods on the doors, and they feed what they see into screens in the cabin. It sounds a bit complicated, but it works surprisingly well most of the time. You get used to it.
The dashboard also takes a little getting used to, because it’s just a big bank of screens. Two house the satellite navigation and multimedia systems, while one behind the steering wheel shows your speed, battery level and other necessities. As you might expect, it’s all almost infinitely configurable, so you can give up on the incongruously clunky sat-nav and just display a digital fish tank full of digital fish.
In such a small car, space is obviously at a premium, but the use of electric power has allowed Honda to get creative. The motor lives under the boot floor, and it sends all 134bhp to the rear wheels. That means there’s no annoying lump running down the middle of the car, so you can scoot between the front seats at will.
It isn’t all good news, though, because it also means the boot isn’t especially big, particularly with the charging cables on board. On the plus side, though, it allows you to wedge your shopping in securely. We’ve all been there: a sole shopping bag left in the middle of a big boot; the fear of hearing that lovely bottle of Chablis roll around and clatter into the trim. It’s all a thing of the past when you’ve got an E.
And if you need more room, you can always use the back seats. They’re more use for luggage than people anyway. Kids will probably be fine as long as the driver isn’t Peter Crouch, but putting two six-foot adults in the back is a bit optimistic; particularly if you leave them there for any length of time.
But that’s okay too, because the Honda isn’t really capable of long journeys. Officially, the battery is big enough to take you 137 miles on a single charge, and if you drive carefully, you might be able to achieve that. If, like me, you have lead-lined hooves in place of feet, you’ll probably be looking at 100 miles or so. That’s enough to get from Manchester to Liverpool and back on a single charge, but you would need a fairly full battery before setting off. Any further and you’ll probably need to stop for go-juice. And even if you only charge to 80% and you use a rapid charger, that’ll take half an hour.
Realistically, then, you’re more or less confined to fairly short trips around towns and cities, but that’s where the E shines. The electric motor makes it nippy and quiet, the visibility is good and the dimensions allow you to squeeze through narrow gaps. The ride is decent, rather than brilliant, but it’s more than comfy enough for the school run, a short commute or a quick dash to Waitrose.
If you’re after a runabout, a second or third car that’s slightly kinder to the environment and your bank balance – electricity is usually cheaper than petrol – the E is a good choice. It isn’t cheap, but it’s quirky and fun and it fills its brief perfectly. If you need to drive long distances, though, this won’t replace a Range Rover. Or even for an Audi A3. As clever as the E may be, you still need something big and practical (and probably petrol or diesel-powered) on the drive.
Honda E Advanced
Price as Tested: £29,710
Engine: Electric motor
0-62mph: 8.0 seconds
Power: 134bhp
Top speed: 100mph
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