Bedtime stories
The dreaded R word crops up again and again when conversation turns to our Honda E electric car: range. It’s the elephant in the room; the diminutive 36kWh battery shapes your entire motoring mindset. Quick recap: this is a deliberate move by Honda, which argues that 99 per cent of journeys are fewer than 100 miles, so why lug around a big, heavy battery?
In day-to-day duties, this is absolutely fine. Accept that you must adapt your habits to suit – and plug in every single night (much to Mrs P’s chagrin, as we share charging duties with her plug-in Passat wagon). Starting each day with 100 per cent charge is imperative; even the school run becomes quite touch-and-go if you start the day only half full.
Honda quotes 125 miles, but we’ve rarely seen three digits on the range meter. Now that winter has drawn in, 80-90 is more common – and that’s a challenge for those of us who don’t live in an urban conurbation. Yes, you can fast-charge on the go, but I believe it’s restricting the appeal of this otherwise brilliant Honda to those living in Britain’s cities.