REVIEW | Honda e:Ny1
Honda’s History
Honda has never been afraid of doing something different. It’s how the company started. Soichiro Honda had trained as a mechanic and spent his early years helping his father in the family’s bicycle repair business.
When WW2 ended, Japan needed to quickly rebuild. Transportation was going to be crucial if people wanted to get to work. Soichiro had the idea of retrofitting surplus generator motors to bicycles. Bingo, the first Honda motorcycle was born. Today, Honda is the biggest motorcycle brand in the world with production facilities all over the globe.
In 1963, the company added cars and commercial vehicles to their stable of vehicles. They even opened a Honda plant in Swindon in 1992 for the production of Accord models, with the Civic added a couple of years later. Sadly it closed in 2021.
But, all along the way they’ve been innovative.
How do you say that name?
Which brings me to its latest offering.
This is the fully electric e:Ny1. The name is manufacturer-speak and refers to the name of the platform on which the car is based. The e:N platform will be used across several future electric models from Honda. It’s also the first, hence the 1. Some folk can’t quite get the hang of it, like my neighbour, for example. She calls it an ‘Anyone.’
It’s currently the only 100% electric car from Honda after the seriously cute Honda-e city car was ditched. It looked great but didn’t sell well. Shame. However, the e:Ny1 is the sort of car which will appeal to current Honda owners who are thinking about switching to battery power, bearing in mind that it won’t be too much longer before we all won’t have the choice (January 1st 2030). It’s a compact SUV which takes a lot of styling cues from the Honda HR-V. They’re very similar in terms of size.
e:Ny1 Price
For a starting price of £40,660, the Honda e:Ny1 is not one of the cheaper electric cars on the UK market. However, you do need to take into account that the e:Ny1 is fitted with all of the essentials you could realistically ask for. Whether that equals money well spent will be for the public to decide.
e:Ny1 Powertrain, Speed & Range
The e:Ny1’s power comes from an electric motor developing 201bhp which drives the front wheels and gives you a peppy 0-60mph time of 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 99mph. Honda reckons the all-important range is 256 miles. Find a rapid charger and a 10-80% charge will take around about 45 minutes.
Those of you who’ve driven an electric car will recognise the instant surge you get from a standstill. It’s fun but, after a while, you just set off as normal. Honda has helped by making the throttle react in much the same way as a petrol-powered car. Clever. If you still want to rocket off the line, Sport mode switches it off.
If you’re a keen driver, you’ll love the way the e:Ny1 handles. The ride is fairly firm at low speeds, but the pay-off is that the car handles really well and responds nicely if you want to hustle through some corners.
Trim levels & Interior
Two trim grades are available - Elegance and Advance. The difference is £2200 in terms of price, with Advance adding a heated steering wheel, powered tailgate, panoramic sunroof, and a 360 degree camera. There’s also a premium audio system which is terrific in terms of sound quality.
Both trims get a huge 15.1-inch central infotainment screen. It’s clear and intuitive to use and is split into various sections which are all visible at the same time - map, phone, climate. There are also heated front seats, a powered driver’s seat, wireless phone charger, rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, LED headlights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The sat nav is really good. I’d try to find some money down the back of the sofa and go for Advance trim as it makes the car feel extra special.
If you want decent passenger space, you’re going to be really chuffed because front and rear occupants get a surprising amount of legroom. There’s also plenty of storage space around the cabin. Everything looks smart and airy, lovely stuff.
Plenty of incentives
Reliability will be good. Honda gives the e:Ny1 a 5-year warranty and even include 5-years of servicing and roadside assistance. A cracking package.
Honda has been clever. The brand knows a lot of its owners will be aware that the future of motoring is battery powered. Those owners like the way Hondas look, how they handle, how they’re packaged and how they have a brilliant reputation in terms of reliability and build quality. In other words, they want more of the same…but without an internal combustion engine.
This is only the second electric car to be brought to the UK by Honda. It bodes well for those future models in the pipeline.
READ: REVIEW | Honda Jazz - Not Just for the Over 60s
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Honda
