THE DESIRABLE EV
HONDA URBAN EV
When Honda’s Urban EV was revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in 2017, it was one of our most read online stories. Everyone loved its retro, compact styling – so much so that apparently the designers went back to the drawing board to make sure the production car was as close to the
concept as possible.
The final car, which has been spotted testing with a more practical five-door layout than the concept’s three-door format, will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March.
Honda’s first electric car in Europe (it already sells an electric Clarity hatch in Japan and the US) is built on a new dedicated electric platform and “sets the direction for the technology and design” of its future EVS.
The concept is 100mm shorter than the Jazz, at 3895mm long, and has the Honda emblem backlit in blue, previewing a new styling feature for forthcoming EVS from the brand.
No powertrain or range details have been revealed, but Autocar sources have said that, as a city car, it will have a modest range of around 155 miles. However, Honda has confirmed that the car will have a high-density lightweight battery pack, integrated heat management and energy transfer functions both to and from the vehicle.
The Honda Sports EV concept, a sports car sibling to the Urban EV that was unveiled at the Tokyo motor show in 2017 and has similar design cues, has not been signed off for production but is under consideration.