Dear Honda, this adorable electric car needs to come to the US

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  I’ve rarely had as much difficulty photographing a new car at an auto show press day than I had trying to get a good shot of the Honda e. It was always mobbed. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ]

FRANKFURT, GERMANY—Two years ago, Honda arguably stole the Frankfurt auto show with its Urban EV concept car. That delightful little electric car was reminiscent of Hondas past, like the N600 and S800, but updated for a carbon-free future. At the 2019 Frankfurt show, it went one better, revealing the production version called the Honda e (which starts at about €30,000 including incentives). And while others were swooning over the new Land Rover, this little battery-electric car completely and utterly won my heart. And I think it’s a crying shame it won’t go on sale here in the US.

It’s not for everyone

Let’s be clear about this to stem pages of complaints: I realize the Honda e is not a “one car does it all” solution. At just 153 inches (3,894mm) long, it’s a very small car by US standards. Its lithium-ion battery pack is just 35.5kWh and provides a WLTP-calculated range of 138 miles (220km), so stop reading here if your commute to work is more than 50 miles each way. It’s not even particularly fast, although it is rear-wheel drive, with either 100kW (134hp) or 113kW (151hp) motors as options and a 0-62mph (100km/h) time of eight seconds. And there are definitely no promises that it will go out at night and earn you money while you sleep.

No, this is a battery-electric vehicle with a definite niche, for people who live in cities where journeys are measured in time rather than distance. A niche that BMW has tapped into nicely with the i3. And like the i3, I’m pretty sure that charming—some might say quirky—styling will go a long way in moving metal off forecourts.