It was the cutest car on the planet. Honestly, looking at the Honda e for the first time felt like seeing a Pixar character come to life. Those round, "living" LED headlights that winked at you when you unlocked the door? Pure magic.
But magic doesn't always pay the bills.
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In early 2024, Honda officially pulled the plug on its retro-futuristic hatchback. No more production. No direct replacement. Just a quiet exit through the back door while the world obsessed over massive SUVs. It’s a bit of a tragedy, really. The Honda e was supposed to be the "iPhone of cars," a clean-sheet design that threw away the rulebook. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about what happens when an automaker prioritizes "cool" over common sense.
The Design That Broke the Internet
When the concept version (the Urban EV) dropped back in 2017, people lost their minds. It looked like a first-gen Honda Civic that had spent a decade in a Silicon Valley lab. It was tiny. It was simple.
The production version stayed remarkably true to that vision. You got pop-out door handles and a sleek, button-less exterior. Most importantly, it had no side mirrors. None. In their place were tiny cameras that projected a live feed onto screens inside the cabin.
What was it like inside?
Walking into a Honda e felt less like getting into a vehicle and more like sitting in a high-end Scandinavian lounge.
- The Screen Wall: Five screens spanned the entire width of the dashboard.
- Real Wood: A literal wooden shelf sat under those screens, making it feel like a piece of furniture.
- The Aquarium: You could literally turn the dashboard into a digital fish tank. You could even "feed" the fish by tapping the screen.
- HDMI Port: There was a household power outlet and an HDMI port under the dash. People were literally plugging in PS5s and playing Gran Turismo while charging.
It was brilliant. It was weird. It was exactly what the EV market needed to stop being so boring.
Honda e: The 100-Mile Problem
Here’s where things got messy. Honda decided that since this was a "city car," nobody would ever need to drive it very far. They fitted it with a tiny 35.5 kWh battery.
On paper, the WLTP range was about 137 miles. In the real world? If it was cold outside or you were driving on the highway, you were looking at 100 miles. Maybe less. In 2020, that was a tough sell. By 2024, it was a dealbreaker.
Most people didn't want to pay $40,000—yes, it was that expensive—for a car that couldn't reliably get them to the next city and back. For the same money, you could buy a Tesla Model 3 or a Hyundai Ioniq 5 with double the range and twice the space. Honda bet on the idea that "urbanites" would value style and ease of parking over range. They bet wrong.
Why it Actually Handled Like a Dream
It’s easy to poke fun at the battery, but the engineering underneath was top-tier. This wasn't just a Civic with the engine ripped out. It was a dedicated rear-wheel-drive platform with 50:50 weight distribution.
Because the motor was in the back, the front wheels could turn at ridiculous angles. The turning circle was just 4.3 meters. You could basically U-turn in a hallway. It felt zippy, too. With 315Nm of torque available instantly, it would win almost any stoplight drag race against a gas-powered hatchback.
Driving it was genuinely fun. It felt like a go-kart with an iPad glued to the front.
The Real Reason Honda Killed It
Rebecca Adamson, the head of cars at Honda UK, basically admitted the truth: people just want SUVs.
While enthusiasts were crying about the death of the small, funky hatchback, the actual buyers were walking across the showroom to look at the Honda e:Ny1 (yes, that’s really the name). It’s an electric version of the HR-V. It’s taller, it’s blander, and it has more range.
The Honda e sold fewer than 10,000 units a year in Europe. Compared to the Peugeot e-208 or the Fiat 500e, it was a niche product for people with deep pockets and very short commutes. Honda realized they couldn't justify a second generation of a car that didn't make money.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Future
If you think Honda is giving up on cool EVs, think again.
They’ve recently pivoted to something called the "0 Series." It’s a new design philosophy they’re launching in 2026. They're ditching the "retro" look for something they call "Thin, Light, and Wise." The first model will be a sedan based on the "Saloon" concept—it looks like something out of Blade Runner.
The spirit of the Honda e lives on in the tech. The steer-by-wire systems, the focus on interior "joy," and the high-efficiency motors are all being recycled for these next-gen cars.
Practical Insights for Today
If you're looking at a Honda e on the used market right now, you need to be realistic.
- Check the Battery Health: These batteries are small, meaning they go through more "cycles" than a big Tesla battery would.
- Home Charging is Non-Negotiable: Because the range is so low, you absolutely need a way to plug it in at home every night.
- The Camera Mirrors: They’re great, but if someone clips your "mirror" in a parking lot, it’s a high-tech sensor replacement, not just a piece of glass. It's pricey.
- Resale Value: Because it’s a "cult classic," prices might stay higher than other discontinued EVs, but don't expect it to be a smart financial investment.
The Honda e was a beautiful mistake. It proved that we want EVs to be soulful and interesting, but it also proved that at the end of the day, we’re still terrified of running out of juice on the side of the road.
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If you want to track how Honda is applying these lessons to their 2026 lineup, keep an eye on the Honda 0 Series development. The "Saloon" production model is expected to hit North America first, and it promises to fix the range issues while keeping the "wow" factor that the little hatchback pioneered.