Honda was perhaps one of the surprises when it came to the electric vehicle world. Because not only was it a little late to the party, but it also came out with an extremely small car called the Honda e. The e was a bit of a sensation, with its size and styling quite spectacular. However, it was a little limited in its range and not quite what many people had hoped. But Honda is looking to really move on in an electric future.
Earlier in 2022, Honda unveiled its new e:N2 concept. The e of course references the electric nature of this car, and it's one of the most fascinating electric concepts currently out there. While the new e:N2 is part of the Japanese brand’s attempts at electrifying its lineup in China, it offers up striking new looks and a vision into the future of Honda. Electrification will form a key part of the company’s future, as the world moves towards cars operating on renewable energy. The e:N2 offers a fascinating glimpse into the future of Honda.
Styling That Blows The Likes Of Tesla Out Of The Water
Honda has clearly decided to move away from traditional car design conventions with its e:N2, much like sister brand Acura has done so with the rather incredible looking Precision EV that will be available in North America. A lot of the design cues for the e:N2 come from the e:N GT Concept that Honda revealed in 2021, another China-only EV. The sharp lines and futuristic lighting elements are features not seen on many cars, be they EVs or ICE powered cars. The shape is certainly a bold one, and it really stands out.
The front-end of the e:N2 is particularly sharp and extravagant while its lines and curves get that bit smoother as we look along the rest of the car. Compared to cars from the likes of Tesla, Honda has blown its rivals out of the water. This is something it also did with the little e, with only cars from the likes of Hyundai and Kia matching and exceeding that design language. It's certainly very refreshing to see a car company take such a bold route compared to the usual norms of car design, something other manufacturers should take note of.
What This Indicates For The Future Of Honda EVs
First of all, it's clear Honda is not afraid to go a bit bold. The new Type R was a bold change of direction for the brand, refocusing its styling and offering something very sporty yet somewhat subtle at the same time. The e:N2 is unlike pretty much most other EVs currently around or in the concept stage, which is a good sign. Honda clearly wants its EVs to stand out from the crowd, doing more than just putting a few batteries into a Civic or an Accord. This is very much the right approach.
The EV world will get more and more crowded as time goes on. So any way in which you can stand out and offer something a bit different is a good thing. Very few of the major car manufacturers seem to want to do that. While the likes of Mercedes and Audi offer plenty of luxury in their EVs, they all look boring, too conventional, no different to their regular offerings. Honda, clearly, doesn’t think that should be the case. A car as futuristic looking as the e:N2 is much more suitable for the EV era than an electrified Audi SUV.
The Future Of Honda’s Electric Power
What we are not so sure about re the future of Honda is what their electric powertrains will develop into. The e offered a short amount of range, but clearly that won’t work for everyone. In March 2022, Honda partnered up with Sony to make EVs together, and to try to catch up to the likes of Tesla. What is clear is that Honda will have to produce longer range EVs, and no doubt this is what will get born out of this partnership with Sony. Two Japanese giants collaborating on EV technology is certainly a worry for their rivals.
Honda’s Electric Future Looks Very Bright
The future of electric vehicles within the Honda range does look rather bright. Honda is clearly happy to go bold and offer some pretty wild looking cars, and will certainly use the experience of the e to good effect. Its slight delay in producing EVs has at least allowed it to look at the opposition, to see what works and what doesn’t and that might actually become an advantage. It is very rare that Honda gets it wrong when it comes to its cars. So if they nail the EV era, then their rivals will be very worried indeed.
Sources: Honda