Honda launches N-One e: electric kei car with 295-km range in Japan

• Honda launches N-One e: minicar in Japan with 295-km range and ¥2.7M starting price.

• New EV shares technology with upcoming Honda 0 Series models built in Ohio.

• Kei car rivals Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi eK X EV in Japan’s emerging mini-EV market.

Honda Motor Co. has unveiled the N-One e:, its attractive and versatile all-electric kei car. The N-One’s goal is simple:  help Honda increase EV sales in Japan and support the rollout of its global 0 Series EVs.

The compact model, priced from approximately ¥2.7 million (CAD $25,500), delivers a WLTP 295 kilometres range. A 30-kWh battery and 47-kW (63-hp) motor power the car, which can be fully recharged in about 4.5 hours using an AC charger. A DC fast charger can replenish the battery to 80 % in roughly 30 minutes.

Honda N-One e: to Deliver 270 km Range and Sub-€20,000 Price in Europe

The N-One e: also introduces one-pedal driving and can supply up to 1,500 watts of external power. Higher trims add a 9-inch touchscreen and leather-wrapped steering wheel, while all models include active safety features such as lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.

Executives said the vehicle will play a central role in Honda’s plan to become Japan’s top EV seller. “We want people to think ‘Honda equals EV,’” said Hideo Kawasaka, general manager of domestic automobile operations. Chief Engineer Hidetomo Horita added that technologies such as single-pedal control developed for the minicar will carry into the 0 Series electric vehicles scheduled for production next year in Ohio.

Honda aims to phase out internal combustion engines globally by 2040, but its near-term EV forecast has been scaled back. CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in May that the company now expects global EV sales of 700,000 to 750,000 vehicles by 2030, down from the previous 2 million-unit target.

Kei cars account for about a third of all vehicle sales in Japan, and Honda’s gasoline-powered N Series is the country’s bestselling model line. The automaker sold 3,600 units of the N-Van e:, its first electric kei vehicle, through July. Competitors Nissan and Mitsubishi currently lead Japan’s mini EV segment, with Nissan delivering 9,906 Sakura models in the same period.