Honda e:Ny1
Whether you currently like, loathe or are indifferent to them, electric cars are here to stay. It’s hard to know where the technology will end up as it seems to be constantly evolving and that puts manufacturers in the rather awkward position of being almost forced to release electric cars, knowing full-well that they could and probably will be outdated not long after they see the light of day.
For such a usually forward-thinking company, Honda has been uncharacteristically late to the electrified party – the very cool but ultimately dismal failure Honda e being their solo venture. The e was strangled by its own diminutive range and was withdraw from sale some time ago so it’s hardly a surprise that Honda‘s been keen to keep its powder dry for a while.
Not Anyone
This is Honda’s latest pure electric car and it’s based on a platform the Japanese firm hope to be able to utilise in many models going forward. The platform’s called e:N which forms the basis for this small crossover’s rather unconventional name; e:Ny1. Now, personally I think it makes perfect sense to pronounce that – Anyone and I also think that’s a rather catchy name for a car aimed at the masses. Clearly Honda disagrees, though, as they want it to be pronounced E-N-Y-1. Apologies to, erm, anyone I unwittingly lead down the garden path with that one during my time with the car.
How far & how much?
Ok, the two figures you really care about: 256 miles WLTP & £40,660 OTR. As with all electric cars, that claimed range is going to be severely dented in the middle of winter and even during a relatively mild spring week we saw more like 210 miles from a charge. Heating yourself up with the heated front seats that come as standard rather than the climate control helps, but it could be argued that we deserve a bit more comfort than to have to do that in a £40k+ car.
Does the e:Ny1 have rapid charging?
On the plus side, all e:Ny1s are capable of charging their 62kWh battery rapidly so should you choose comfort over range and you’re lucky enough to find a suitably fast point you can get the battery from 10-80% in 45 minutes or a very useable 60 miles of range in 11 minutes.
The styling is pure Honda and there’s more than a whiff of HR-V about the e:Ny1. In fact, until you put the two side-by-side to get a true idea of their differences, you’d say this was an electric HR-V. They’re both small crossovers with some generous room between wheel and arch. They both sport a quasi-coupe vibe with a sporty slope on the c-pillar and their hidden rear door handles add to this effect.
New script for electric Hondas
The e:Ny1’s grille is blanked off, though; standard BEV fayre tbh and its rear lights glow with a 3D futuristic effect. As a Type R can be distinguished by its red H badges, the e:Ny1 and all electric Hondas going forwards get a white H on a black background and the Honda script on the hatchback is a capital H followed by a lower-case onda; very forward thinking.
Inside the e:Ny1 is far more high-tech than the HR-V and pretty-much every other Honda on sale today. The driver’s dials are a screen and the central dash is dominated by an impressive 15.1″ screen. Thankfully Honda has seen fit to divide the elements of the screen into thirds and the bottom third is dedicated solely to the climate controls; they’ve clearly been listening to what people actually want from their technology.
Roomy in the rear
The space to stretch out in the e:Ny1 is particularly impressive, especially in the back seats which feel far roomier than you’d expect in an SUV of this size. The standard panoramic roof adds to the general feeling of airiness, it’s just a shame that to appreciate the full glass effect you’ve got to remove two material shades that then have to be stowed in the boot.
Speaking of which, at 361 litres the boot is by no means the most capacious in class, and that’s before you put the roof shades in. The batteries which sit under the floor may be partially to blame for this but those roomy rear seats clearly come at a cost. Put them down and capacity rises to 1,176 litres but that coupe-ish boot-lid means it’s not the best at carrying larger objects.
Progressive steering
On the road the e:Ny1 does a fair job of disguising its 1730Kg kerb weight; some 400Kg more than the HR-V. The steering is assisted to the point of featherweight at low speeds – useful for parking but it then weights up at higher speeds for a more authentic feel whilst cornering etc.
They’ve slowed things down
We’ve pointed out before the irony of driving quickly in an electric car when range anxiety is one of their main downsides. Honda has restricted the e:Ny1’s acceleration to 7.6s for the 0-62mph dash, they claim this more petrol-car-like figure is to reduce motion sickness brought on by the almost surreal acceleration associated with electric cars but I’m more grateful for a few extra miles of range, thank you.
Should I buy an e:Ny1?
Daft name aside, the e:Ny1 has a lot going for it with its interior space, rapid charging and neat interior. At a shade over £40k, though, I’d want a bit more useable range than the circa 210 miles we managed, but then I guess that’d push it’s price and weight up even further.
By Ben Harrington
The 2025 Honda e:Ny1 is available now, priced from £40,660. For full details go to:www.honda.co.uk
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