The Honda e is dead, long live the Honda Sustaina C - AutoReview.nl

We would have liked to wish the Honda e more success. Because it not only looks nice inside and out, it also drives very well. But like almost all Hondas of recent years, it is very expensive. And if for that much money you also get a very limited range, it becomes a difficult story. Officially it would take its occupants 222 kilometers, but in practice that is clearly less.

Sales figure Honda e

Honda emphasized that the average European only makes 30 to 40 kilometers per trip, and that the range does not have to be that long. Looking back over the past three or four years, only about 170 Dutch people were sensitive to this lame excuse - despite the asking price of about 40,000 euros that Honda used for the e. The Honda e also failed to make waves internationally.

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No plug-in hybrid Honda e, but electric SUVs

The also nice, electric one Mazda MX-30 is also plagued by a limited range. Mazda is now tackling that problem by building a plug-in hybrid version of it. Honda does not opt ​​for intermediate solutions and announced in July 2023 that it will be pulling the plug on the cool Honda e.

The official argument is that the market simply demands electric SUVs and is not looking for compact electric cars. The Honda e:Ny1 is the brand's first attempt in that direction. And because Honda now focused mainly on SUVs, the Honda e - a traditional compact hatchback - would not have a successor.

Honda Sustaina C seems to be the successor to Honda e

But what is our surprise? On the Japan Mobility Show to be held at the end of October 2023, Honda will show the three-door Sustaina C. This is also an electric car, but a bit smaller than the Honda e. Externally, the Sustaina C shows quite a few similarities with the Honda e. We also recognize design elements from the very first Honda Jazz, a compact three-door hatchback from the 1980s.

Honda must also have an affordable compact EV

Nothing has yet been announced about the technology of the Honda Sustaina C. It is therefore only a study model. But hey, that's how the Honda e also started... In any case, Honda should actually include a compact EV in its range. Otherwise the brand has no chance in the Japanese home market. Especially in large cities, there is a strict tax and parking regime that prevents larger cars.

Moreover, we see an increasing 'democratization' of electric cars among many other brands: more and more cheap models are being introduced. With an acceptable range. Think of the recently presented Citroën eC3 and the announced Volkswagen ID.2.

Don't be too quick to cheer about the compact electric Honda

But let's not celebrate too early. Because although we expect that there will be a production version of the Honda Sustaina C, it remains to be seen whether it will also reach Europe. The Japan Mobility Show (formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show) usually mainly features cars intended for Asian countries.

And if Honda wants to make the Sustaina C a success in Europe, it will have to become a lot cheaper or have a much greater range than the Honda e. Preferably both...