Honda unveiled its compact runabout electric hatchback at the Frankfurt Automobile Show AAI. The small car is called just Honda e. The Honda e is an electric car for the masses. It has simple straight lines and simple somewhat boxy shape.

The front end is kind of cute and simple, influenced by the cars from the late seventies with a simple straight grille. Two circular headlamps complete the retro looks. Honda has done away with the outside rear view mirrors with two tiny stalks holding rear view cameras which display the images on two six inch screens placed inside the car. Drivers will have to change their habit of searching for an image outside the window. This makes the exterior a little less cluttered. Further clutter is reduced by providing pop-out handled on the doors.

The car is a delight for the smartphone generation with a total of five screens across the dashboard. The center of the dashboard is dominated by a 12.3″ touchscreen which is the center of the infotainment system, presenting a range of applications and connected infotainment services that help the car to seamlessly integrate with the owner’s modern urban lifestyle in a living-room like environment .

The Honda e is powered by a single electric motor available with two power outputs of 100 KW (136 PS) and 113 KW (154 PS). These motors generate 135 N-M of torque and power the rear wheels. These motors and torque available right from the beginning help the Honda e accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. The electrical energy for driving these motors is stored in a 35.5 KW-H battery which is one of the most compact batteries in this class of cars. These batteries give the Honda e a range of 220 KM. With fast charging, the batteries can be recharged to 80% capacity in 30 minutes.

The various connected services and applications can also be accessed using voice command starting with a “OK Honda”. The car uses an intuitive Honda Personal Assistant, which is a smart artificial intelligence (AI) facility that uses unique contextual understanding to create natural conversations and provide access to a range of online services. Further, Honda e owners can stay connected to their vehicle remotely through the My Honda+ smartphone application. The Honda mobile service which was originally launched in 2017, has been updated in this car. It delivers a wider range of functionality, including easy navigation to a detailed vehicle condition report, remote climate control, and security and location monitoring. Additional EV-specific functions which include battery charge control and range monitor, while at a charging station and navigation search results can also be sent to the car from a mobile device.

The Honda e is not a concept and it announces the arrival of a generic electric vehicle for the masses.

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