Late final 12 months, Honda introduced that it was pulling the plug on the e, its first devoted EV, and a darling of the automotive press right here in Europe. Though everyone wished to pinch its little cheek and reward its driving dynamics, the e was too costly and provided restricted vary, so only a few individuals purchased one.
Now Honda is making an attempt once more with the e:NY1, an even bigger automobile than the e that includes a crossover-style physique. After driving one for every week, I don’t assume Honda is on to a winner, particularly towards proficient rivals just like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the Tesla Mannequin Y, often known as the reigning best-selling automotive on the earth.
The e:NY1 is mainly the European HR-V physique positioned atop Honda’s new e:N Structure F platform. Honda needs to make use of the platform for 30 EVs it plans to launch by decade’s finish. The platform is modular and helps front-, rear-, or all-wheel drive, however the e:NY1 includes a single motor driving the entrance wheels, no dual-motor choice, and only one battery pack.
To me, this seems like a mannequin Honda haphazardly put collectively simply to get a mannequin on the brand new platform out the door. The producer couldn’t significantly have thought it was an actual contender—in what’s a really aggressive phase of the EV market right here in Europe—with the specs and {hardware} that it has.
The EV Fundamentals
Honda has given the e:NY1 a 66.8-kWh battery pack with a usable capability of 61.9 kWh. That’s on par with most rivals, though some do provide an non-obligatory larger battery for electrical crossovers this dimension. Having two battery packs to decide on between appears to be what electrical crossover consumers need. Some would quite save on the upfront value by getting the smaller pack, particularly in the event that they solely plan to make use of their EV on the town, whereas others want most vary.
The battery pack is comprised of 96 lithium-ion cells, water-cooled, and might run at as much as 370 volts. It powers a Vitesco Applied sciences 201 horsepower/310 Nm (228 lb-ft) everlasting magnet synchronous motor.
After I picked up my press fleet loaner e:NY1 from the native arm of Honda, it had beforehand been absolutely charged, and it confirmed a variety of 179 miles. That’s a bit off the claimed 256-mile WLTP vary, however then a helpful message on the massive 15.1-inch infotainment display screen introduced that I may achieve 28.5 miles of vary if I turned off the cabin air flow and heating.
This jogged my memory that the e:NY1 doesn’t have a warmth pump, which might have made heating the cabin way more environment friendly. Fortunately, although we get actually chilly winters right here in Romania that may stretch properly into March, exterior temperatures have been fairly gentle throughout my time with the automotive (round 55°F), so I may do with out the traditional heating. My well-equipped Advance trim stage tester had a heated steering wheel and seats, which sapped far much less vary, so I used to be superb simply utilizing them as an alternative.
The e:NY1 is meant to make use of 18.2 kWh/100km (or go simply over 3.5 miles/kWh) to attain its claimed vary, however throughout my time with the automotive, I couldn’t get it any decrease than about 20 kWh/100km, even with the fan turned off. With it on, it was utilizing extra like 26 kWh/100km (2.4 miles/kWh), which is sort of far off what the producer claims.
Charging pace within the e:NY1 is beneath common. Even if you happen to hook it as much as a 100 kW DC quick charger, it’s going to solely draw a most of 78 kW. That’s sufficient to carry the battery from 10 to 80 % in round 45 minutes and add about 100 km (60 miles) of vary in 11 minutes. Its onboard AC charger peaks at 11 kW, and it wants virtually seven hours to get the battery from 10 to 80 %.
Regenerative braking felt fairly weak. You possibly can regulate the extent of regen through paddles on the steering wheel, however even in its highest setting, it didn’t really feel prefer it stopped the automotive any faster. This charge of regen deceleration didn’t warrant the brake lights to come back on, and also you definitely can’t one-pedal drive the e:NY1.
The Drive
If you wish to expertise what 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 7.7 seconds seems like within the e:NY1 and also you ground it off the road, you can be met with lots of wheelspin even with traction management on. I’ve pushed many different front-wheel drive EVs with comparable ranges of energy and torque to this, however I’ve by no means skilled one which has this a lot issue placing its energy down.
At full tilt the e:NY1 seems like a canine frantically making an attempt to pull its ass on the bottom. I’m unsure what the issue is right here. It might be a tire subject, however my tester’s Vredestein Wintrac Professional winter tires aren’t recognized for his or her lack of grip, so that they most likely aren’t the supply of the issue. It’s one thing a lot deeper, possible associated to weight distribution between its two axles, which appears off for a front-wheel drive automobile.
As soon as it hooks up, although, it accelerates linearly to its high pace of 160 km/h (99 mph), nevertheless it’s not the sort of automotive that eggs you on to drive it exhausting. I solely put it in Sport mode a few instances over a whole week as a result of I felt it didn’t make a lot of a distinction, and it squandered its energy off the road anyway.
It is fairly comfy, although, and this was simply the spotlight of my e:NY1 driving expertise. Sure, the suspension may be very mushy, and the automobile reveals pronounced roll via the corners and pitch and dive, however because it isn’t a automotive designed to be partaking, this emphasis on consolation appears appropriate.
Driving the e:NY1 with its fan off and music turned down, there was lots of whine from the motor coming into the cabin. This isn’t one thing I often really feel the necessity to point out in an EV evaluation, however there have been just a few moments throughout my time with the automotive when the motor noise grew to become annoying. And driving the automotive at freeway speeds, the wind noise you would hear was greater than in most different electrical crossovers that I’ve pushed.
The Tech
Honda solely sells the e:NY1 as a really well-equipped Advance mannequin on most European markets. The UK will get a less expensive Class trim that does with out the double panoramic roof, heated steering wheel, powered liftgate, and computerized parking system.
In Romania, the e:NY1 Advance begins at €51,500. That is $55,766 at at the moment’s trade charge, however be aware that costs should not immediately comparable throughout markets resulting from variations in taxes, gross sales construction, and buying energy. To Honda’s credit score, it does include lots of package. The 15.1-inch infotainment is normal, as is wi-fi Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, and it will get a full suite of Honda Sensing security techniques that work fairly properly.
Driving the automotive on the freeway, the Honda’s lane-keeping system holds its lane properly and is sweet at managing distance from the automotive in entrance. In a single occasion, somebody unexpectedly pulled out in entrance of me whereas on the freeway and the automotive did an excellent job braking to keep away from it a fraction of a second earlier than I may have reacted.
The e:NY1 additionally comes with a cross-traffic monitor for each entrance and rear, street departure mitigation, visitors jam help, energetic lane change help, and a lane change collision mitigation system. There’s additionally a multi-view digicam system that has a helpful top-down perspective that helps with maneuvering in tight areas.
The Verdict
20 Pictures
As a fan of each well-sorted EVs and the Honda model, I really feel upset by the e:NY1. This could’t be Honda’s greatest effort at making an electrical mannequin, since in some ways it seems like a step again even in comparison with the now-defunct e (which I liked and can purchase used someday regardless of its shortcomings).
Honda must do higher sooner or later, and if the ideas that it’s not too long ago proven are any indication, not less than the design will probably be cranked to e ranges of craziness or past. With plans to launch 30 EVs by 2030 and an announcement that it’s diverting 62 % of its complete funds to create them, there’s nonetheless hope for Honda EVs, nevertheless it seems like we should wait just a few extra years for an excellent one to come back out.