Honda’s Smallest Electric Car Yet Goes Big on Practicality (and Quirkiness)

Although Honda has a history with electric vehicles that dates back to the 1997 EV Plus, the brand’s first mass-produced battery-powered model arrived in 2020 in the form of the endearing Honda e. 

Unfortunately, for all the EV’s promise, a hefty price tag in combination with a lackluster range made it a tough sell compared to larger alternatives. Honda first pulled the model from its European lineup in 2023 before discontinuing it in Japan last January.

But now there’s a new Honda subcompact on the horizon. Following the debut of the N-Van e in 2024 and the unveiling of the shocking Super EV at Goodwood last month, the brand has announced that the tiny, retro-styled N-One e is to be its next all-electric model.

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Retro redux

Like the N-One, which first hit the market in 2012, the N-One e comes inspired by Honda’s first compact passenger car: the 1967 N360.

However, that’s where the similarities end. In designing the N-One e to be a “daily partner,” Honda has improved on the gas-powered compact with a host of modern convenience features.

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Along with a highly modular interior layout, the N-One e also boasts button-enabled single-pedal control as well as vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-load charging capabilities. As such, buyers can effectively use the N-One e as a rolling power bank — an optional Honda power supply connector enables charging of both homes and home appliances.

Honda has yet to release the full specifications for the car, but it has shared that the N-One e will be capable of providing a cruising range of over 167 miles under the WLTC test cycle. While that doesn’t sound like much on paper, the figure puts it comparable to the Honda e — and that’s even with a smaller kei car footprint.

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Sustainable standout

As part of the industry-wide push for electrification, many automakers are increasingly employing renewable materials and sustainable construction methods. The N-One e is no exception.

If anything, Honda has taken the eco-friendly initiative a step further through its “resource circulation” program, wherein it minimizes the use of exhaustible resources as much as possible. In the case of the N-One e, this means that the front grille is made from “recycled bumper materials” comprising discarded bumpers from other Honda vehicles.

That’s not all — for the interior of the EV, Honda utilized plant-derived bio-resin in the instrument panel accents. Elsewhere, the floor carpets and insulation incorporate used PET bottles along with work clothes worn by Honda employees.

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Global potential

At this stage, Honda has announced that advanced reservations will open on August 1st, though it has yet to share pricing or indicate if the N-One e will be made available outside of Japan.

Being a kei car, it’s unlikely that the little EV will make its way to the United States. However, the N-One e may see further market expansion in Europe and around the rest of the world.

After all, Honda first unveiled the performance-oriented Super EV in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Whether as an urban subcompact or an all-electric runabout, the N-One e would fill the void recently left by the Honda e. Given its simplicity, it’ll likely come at a lower price point.

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2026 Honda N-One e

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