Honda will call its new small electric car the Honda E when it goes on sale in Europe next year. The EV will debut in production form at the Frankfurt auto show in September after being previewed by two concepts, the most recent at the Geneva auto show in March.
The E is built on a dedicated, rear-wheel drive EV platform and is expected to have a similar 200-km (124-mile) range as Honda claimed for the E Prototype shown in March. The E will be sold in Europe and Japan, where it will be built, but U.S. sales are unlikely.
The EV is part of an electrified push by Honda, which said last year it was dropping diesel models in favor of hybrid and electric power. Honda began sales of the CR-V hybrid earlier this year.
Next year the automaker will launch its new Jazz small car with a full hybrid version. The Jazz will be unveiled at the Tokyo auto show in October. Honda’s new Civic compact car for Europe due in 2021 will also be available with a full hybrid drivetrain. Honda is looking into the business case for selling a Civic plug-in hybrid in Europe.
Honda has said it wants two thirds of its vehicles sold in Europe to be electrified by 2025.
Production of the next Civic for Europe will be in Japan after Honda said it will close by 2021 its plant in the UK, which builds the Civic hatchback, and its factory in Turkey, which produces the Civic sedan.
