Honda has a pretty long, interesting history when it comes to electrification. They were working on electric cars as early as the late 1980s (1988, to be exact), and in 1997, they came out with the oft-forgotten EV Plus, one of the first all-electric vehicles on the market. While it’s mostly a footnote in history today, it did set Honda down the path we’re on now, with the e:Ny1 electric crossover. A rather peculiar name, and one that’s as hard to remember as it is to spell out, Honda is building out its foundations to an all-electric future, and it all starts with the e:Ny1. It’s the type of car that’s in high demand right now; a compact, tall-riding, do-everything crossover.
The e:Ny1 is also the only battery-electric vehicle that Honda sells in the European market, so if you’re looking for a good-old reliable Honda, but one that runs on batteries and an electric motor, you really don’t have any other options. But, with a starting price that’s nearing £40,000, the all-new Honda e:Ny1 enters a competitive side of the EV market. So, why should you pick Honda when there are so many other great alternatives on the market? Moreover, is the e:Ny1 worth considering, when Honda sells countless other really good hybrid models, bridging the gap between internal combustion and EVs? Well, on the face of it, the e:Ny1 at least looks the part.
What Is The Honda e:Ny1 Advance About?
It’s nice to see Honda break out of its shell every now and then, given that the brand is well-known for its rather conservative design language. That said, the e:Ny1 is nothing short of bold and avant-garde, showcasing what the future of Honda’s design language might look like. It almost looks like a concept car that made it onto the road, with those slim headlights, a long lightbar in the back, and a futuristic silhouette. If you’re ever struggling to figure out if the e:Ny1 is an EV or not, look no further than its grille-less front fascia.
I also do quite like this Aqua Topaz Metallic paintwork, which to my eyes, really plays nicely with sunlight, as it contrasts beautifully with all the shiny black exterior trim. And here’s an interesting fun fact about the Honda e:Ny1… Those Honda ‘H’ badges are all coloured in white, alongside the ‘H-O-N-D-A’ script in the rear (this is another new branding element, previewed on the e:Ny1). Honda is doing this to clearly signify that among its diverse line-up of cars, this one is a battery-electric vehicle. It’s just like how Type R badges are made out in red, so you’ll now know that Honda cars with white badging are all EVs.
Other than that, Honda is equally as bold as the e:Ny1 when it comes to furnishing the interior, too. But, we’ll get to that later. Oh, and if you’re wondering what that rectangular panel is where the front grille might’ve gone, that’s the charging port. When you need to charge your e:Ny1’s battery, it neatly retracts upwards and away, unveiling a huge compartment underneath. This frontward placement actually makes it super easy to access the charge port with most public charging stations, as you’re parking up against them.
How Does It Drive?
Specs-wise, the all-new Honda e:Ny1 has a single, front-mounted electric motor. It’s capable of cranking out a modest 204PS of power and a fairly decent 310Nm of torque. Put your foot down, and it should dispatch a 0 to 62mph time of 7.7 seconds; and onto a top speed of 99mph. It’s not blistering fast by any means, but for a daily driver EV, it’s more than enough oomph to get you around from A to B. If you do want to alter how it drives, you do get to pick and choose between 3 different drive modes… Econ, Normal, and Sport. Depending on whether you’d rather prioritise performance or efficiency first and foremost, this should let you tweak the power delivery and feel to your liking.
As far as electric vehicles go, the Honda e:Ny1 is a supremely easy-going and effortless machine to cruise about and commute with. It’s the kind of car that you could mindlessly get in, put it in Drive, hit the accelerator, and steer to where you need to go, without needing to fiddle around with anything. For daily driving and chewing through those motorway miles, as well as putting countless hours spent in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I’m super happy to report that the e:Ny1 is superbly comfy and quiet, even by EV standards. I dare say it’s also the ideal EV to recommend for folks getting into electric vehicles for the first time, given how unintimidating and easy-going it is.
Alas, it’s not the sort of driving experience that’ll set your hair on fire or anything. But, for most folks seeking a practical, versatile, yet affordable and familiar commuter car, the e:Ny1 is one that you can jump into and get going really easily. Between its light and sharp steering, well-poised ride quality, and good enough handling to cope with the urban jungle and town driving alike. Honda has also made a concerted effort with trying to cut down the noise, vibrations, and harshness levels as much as possible. They’ve managed to do this with increased amounts of cabin insulation, and even adding more insulation material around the wheelhouses.
What Is It Like Inside?
Much of the Honda e:Ny1’s interior is identical to a lot of other Hondas that I’ve driven and sampled lately, like the new Civic and the redesigned HR-V. However, where the e:Ny1 sets itself apart from every other Honda out there is the new infotainment system. It’s an absolutely gargantuan unit of a screen; 15.1 inches in total, which is as sharp to my eyes as a high-tech piece of electronic. As you’d expect out of a Honda, it’s easy to use and pretty intuitive to get used to. Unfortunately, you do lose out on a lot of physical controls and analogue switchgear, with most of your dashboard and centre console now absorbed into this display.
At least it helps to know that Honda has compartmentalised the verticality of this screen into three separate sections. This way, you won’t have to, for example, close or hide the satnav anytime you want to change your A/C unit’s airspeed. The bottom-most section is dedicated solely to your climate control functions. Meanwhile, the middle and topmost sections interchangeably act as displays for your various other in-car systems. These include your satellite navigation, multimedia controls, or EV-related information (like your power flow meter). And, it’s here that you could play around with the e:Ny1’s multi-view camera system, to help give you a clearer look at what’s around you when you need to park.
Plus, you get another 10.2-inch screen for your instruments and gauges. You can further customise this through the multi-function steering wheel, which thankfully, still has physical buttons. Thanks to its super simplified user interface, it’s supremely easy to read at a glance, and you should have all the readouts you need here. If you look elsewhere, the e:Ny1 is mostly, typically a Honda; practical and utilitarian, with none of the fancy goodies that you could make do without. Nevertheless, with the e:Ny1, it’s a lot fancier and more sci-fi than most other Honda interiors that I’ve been in. One notable example is the inclusion of some cool ambient lighting strips.
Best of all, while the new Honda e:Ny1 might appear small from the outside, step inside, and there’s a lot more room in here than you’d expect. There’s more than adequate legroom and headroom for all your passengers, made more open and airy with the optional panoramic glass sunroof. And, you get a sizeable boot, too. You do have to bear in mind that the sloping roof design does cut into the boot a tiny bit, so you won’t have nearly as much vertical space as a more boxy silhouette. Still, the boot of the e:Ny1 is a voluminous 361 litres, which is a healthy amount for a compact electric SUV.
Additionally, you’re also treated with extra underfloor storage to stow away those charging cables. If you do need more space, just fold the rear seats down, and you get a spacious 1,176 litres of cargo capacity. This is probably more than enough for a weekend’s worth of luggage or chucking in the weekly groceries. I also like the abundance of hard plastic and rubber cladding in the boot itself, too. As such, I’m not too concerned about dirtying it or scratching it whenever I’m moving stuff in and out of it, which ought to be really easy to clean and hose down, if need be.
The Experience
The Honda e:Ny1 is estimated to have a total range of around 256 miles, according to the WLTP estimates. But, in real-world scenarios and with day-to-day driving, you could likely expect somewhere around 200 miles or so of range. Or, slightly more if you’re gentle with the throttle. This isn’t a huge amount, given that we have EVs now that’ll handle 400+ miles of range. However, given the more affordable price tag of the Honda e:Ny1, as well as its compact sizing, it’s pretty good. I’d reckon most folks are more likely to be driving around the e:Ny1 around town or commuting to and from work. In this case, 200 or so miles of range should be more than merely sufficient. It’s only if and when you’re going on long road trips that you’ll notice the range be limiting.
Nevertheless, as a daily driver, all that range anxiety fades away once you reach home and plug it into the wall to trickle charge the e:Ny1 overnight, and have a full battery before you take off the next morning. Speaking of, the e:Ny1’s 66.8kWh battery tops up rather quickly. If you’re plugging it into a 100kW DC fast-charger, the new Honda e:Ny1 will manage a 10% to 80% charge in just 45 minutes. Or, if you’re really short on time, a brief 11 minutes on a fast charger will gain you a good 60 miles of range.
Granted, using a slower 11kW AC charger, which is commonplace among public charging stations, that 10% to 80% charge might instead take around 6 hours, though this is to be expected. As you’re driving along, all that regenerative braking should at least help a tiny bit. This is made a tad easier with the My Honda+ mobile app, which lets you remotely view and set things like your climate controls, or check how much battery charge you have left. In addition, you could even have your e:Ny1 plugged in, and using the app, you could schedule the charge times for it.
Honda e:Ny1 Advance Cost
At the moment, there are only two trim levels of the e:Ny1 that you can choose from. There’s the entry-level Elegance trim, starting from £39,995, and then there’s the top-spec Advance trim that we have here, starting from £42,195. Honda does include a lot of goodies by default, so you’re not forced into diving head first with optional extras just to fit what you want. Some of the default fitments include heated front seats (a nice perk when General Winter strikes), electric front driver seat adjustments, a wireless charging pad for your phone, front parking sensors, as well as Honda’s extensive SUITE of driving aids.
The latter is inclusive of most of the systems you’d really want, like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warnings, collision mitigation braking, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, and so on. However, upgrade to the top-grade Advance trim, and you get extra goodies like that aforementioned multi-view camera system, a heated steering wheel, a few extra parking sensors all around, and a hands-free power tailgate. On top of that, you get a premium sound system, a panoramic glass roof, and best of all, there’s the Parking Pilot system, which detects the nearest viable parking space, and it even helps park the car for you.
Verdict
There’s a lot of appeal and things to like about the e:Ny1… Between its distinctive and futuristic styling, the ease and effortlessness of the driving experience, the gigantic infotainment screen, not to mention the fact that you’re buying a Honda. It’s endlessly versatile, practical, and easy to live with. Plus, I have no doubt that it’s more than reliable enough to last you multiple lifetimes before it breaks down. If you’ve already made up your mind that you’re going after hybrids rather than EVs, then the e:Ny1 isn’t likely to change your mind about it. But, if you’re willing to give it a chance, the all-new Honda e:Ny1 is one of the most well-refined electric cars at this price point.
For the £40,000-ish asking price, you’re getting a lot with the e:Ny1. The drive is superbly quiet and comfy, with a ride quality and handling that wafts you around with ease. It has a good amount of range too, particularly for a more metropolitan-focused vehicle that’s mostly likely to not stray too far away from a nearby charging station. From the packaging and the form factor, as well as the swanky interior – by Honda standards, at least – there’s so much to like about the e:Ny1. I expect this to be a lot more appealing than Honda’s previous EV, the Honda e, and I’m sure if you’re a soon-to-be lucky owner of the e:Ny1, you’re not going to be disappointed. It has set a new standard on how ‘normal’ EVs could be, and that’s no bad thing.
Specification
Honda e:Ny1 Advance Specs
- Price: £42,195
- Engine: Single-motor EV, 66.8kWh battery
- Power: 204PS
- Torque: 310Nm
- 0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
- Top speed: 99mph
- Weight: 1,752kg
- Economy combined: 256 miles (WLTP)
- CO2: 0g/km