Honda has announced plans to launch 10 new electric cars in China in the next five years. The Japanese carmaker has also revealed the first two of these, as well three bold new concept vehicles that will all lead to production cars within the next five years.
- Honda’s new electric vehicles in China to use e:N Series branding
- First two models – e:NS1 and e:NP1 – are sibling cars based on HR-V
- e:N Series models currently confirmed only for China
Honda e:N models: what are they?
Honda’s new range of electric vehicles, which so far will only be limited to China, will use the new e:N Series branding. The 'e' part of the name references the firm's e:Technology brand, while the 'N' stands for now and next, and represents "new value creation for the next-generation of mobility".
The first two e:N models, the e:NS1 and e:NP1, are sibling cars based on the new HR-V and will be offered by Honda's Chinese joint ventures, Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda. Both are due to go on sale in spring 2022.
Honda says the e:N Series models will use an architecture "developed exclusively for EVs – it is a stretched version of the Honda E platform – and will offer a "sporty and exhilarating driver experience".
The e:NS1 and e:NP1 are developments of the e:Prototype SUV that Honda displayed at the Beijing motor show in 2020. The production models have five rather than three doors and the links to the HR-V are more pronounced, despite the blanked-off fascia for the electric car.
Honda has also shown three concept models, the e:N Coupé, e:N SUV and e:N GT, which it plans to use as the basis for production cars in the next five years. These machines show more aggressive and bold electric-only styling than the e:NS1 and e:NP1. Honda has, however, not released any performance or technical details of the two new production models or the three concepts.
Although the new electric models are so far confirmed for China only, the firm said it is "planning global exports of e:N Series models developed and produced in China to deliver new value to a greater number of customers around the world."
Honda in India
Back here in India, Honda is gearing up to launch the City Hybrid sometime in 2022, which could very well be India’s most fuel-efficient petrol car. Following that, the company is also developing an India-focused midsize SUV which is expected to be launched in our market in 2023. It will be based on the City’s platform and could even borrow its powertrain options from the car.
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