Honda’s second EV Small SUV previewed; due 2023
Electric Honda SUV due 2023. Firm’s second EV will be a compact family model and join an all-electrified line-up.
Honda will launch an electric small SUV next year based on the newly revealed e:Ny1 Prototype. The firm has also announced two more electrified models for 2023: a compact hybrid SUV and a new-generation CR-V, which will be offered with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The Japanese car maker said the upcoming e:Ny1 will be “at the centre of Honda’s future product line-up” and offer “the unique blend of dynamics, technology and design for which Honda is known”. It added that the model will be “a great option for families looking for their first EV”.
The latest hybrid-only Civic for Europe has also been revealed, which completes Honda’s plans to electrify its entire mainstream line-up by the end of 2022 (see opposite). When the 11th-generation Civic arrives in the autumn, it will sit alongside the hybridised Jazz, Jazz Crosstar, CR-V and HR-V and the electric Honda E.
The Honda E has proved popular with its retro looks since arriving in 2020 but has limited appeal as a city car with 137 miles of range. The e:Ny1, which will be a similar length and width to the HR-V, will look to correct that as a family-friendly car with a longer, as yet unconfirmed electric range.
It will sit on a newly developed platform called e:N Architecture F that, said Honda, has been created for the new vehicle. However, economies of scale mean the platform is likely to be used in a number of future models. The second new model for 2023, a hybrid compact SUV, will be a similar size to the outgoing CR-V, rivalling the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4. In turn, the new CR-V will grow to compete with Skoda’s Kodiaq. Honda expects its EV and fuel cell vehicles to make up 40% of sales by 2030 in Europe and 80% by 2035. It has committed to end the sale of combustion-engined cars globally by 2040.
The firm said the next stage in its electrification journey is using a “multipath-way strategy” to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It plans to invest in “a range of zero-emission technologies, including solid-state batteries, swappable battery systems, carbon-neutral fuels and hydrogen cells”.
Honda Europe senior vice-president Tom Gardner said: “The completion of our electrification goal marks a significant moment for Honda in Europe. However, we’re not resting on our laurels.
“The new models we will introduce in 2023 set the course for the next generation of electrified Honda cars, all retaining engaging driving dynamics, comfort and exceptional usability.”
The new models in 2023 set the course for the next generation of Honda cars
New HR-V-sized EV will have a longer-legged range than a Honda E. New hybrid compact SUV is also due to arrive next year… …to take on the Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage.
New e:Ny1 previews a 2023 electric-powered small SUV
