Written by Keith Adams Published: 31 July 2023 Updated: 18 October 2023

Overview

Honda’s second ever electric car is not, despite appearances, a zero-emission version of its popular HR-V SUV. In fact, the e: Ny1 only shares doors with the HR-V. They look so similar because Honda wants the e:Ny1 to have a broad appeal. The Japanese firm wants this to be the go-to SUV for people transitioning to an electric lifestyle.

It represents a change in direction for Honda, which is now taking electric vehicles more seriously, and spearheads an all-new range, which will appeal to buyers across the market, unlike the cute, but ultimately niche, e city car.

So what better place to start than the family SUV market, which is chock full of interesting cars to choose from. As such, a lot of rivals will appear alongside it on shopping lists. The Toyota bZ4x, MG ZS EV, Vauxhall Mokka EV are just a few electric SUVs that are a similar price and size.

What’s it like inside?

The enormous 15.1-inch infotainment screen dominates the interior. It’s easy to use and will be a doddle for anyone au fait with a smartphone. It’s split into three sections. The top is reserved for the slightly old hat inbuilt sat-nav, or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and the reversing camera.

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The middle section is customisable, while the bottom third is reserved for the heating controls. They’re a bit fiddly to use on the go; you’ll definitely be prodding at the screen a few times until you get used to it.

The man-made leather seats are electrically adjustable if you pick a top spec cars and come in a pale cream or black colour.

Space throughout is pretty good. In the back there’s no transmission tunnel for the middle seat passenger to straddle and the optional sunroof lets loads of light in, making it feel nice and breezy.

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The downside is the boot. At 361 litres it’s smaller than similarly priced EVs. It does at least have underfloor storage for the charging cables.

What’s it like to drive?

The e:Ny1 is a remarkably relaxing car to drive. It’s electric, so there are no gears. Simply press the D button and zip directly, serenely and nearly silently away.

If this is your first electric car experience you may well be surprised by how fast this Honda is. The 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds isn’t particularly flattering, but between say 10-50mph acceleration is brisk. You won’t be breaking a sweat on joining a motorway or overtaking on a single lane road.

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On the road it feels more delicate than the 1,700kg kerbweight would suggest, thanks to light, precise steering. Around town it’s super easy to place and once you get out on the open road it flows nicely, the suspension deftly hiding most of the road’s imperfections.

At motorway speeds not much is fed back through the steering wheel or seat. In other words, this is a very relaxing place to wile away the hours.

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On really rough surfaces, such as unpaved, gravel roads, it can reveal the car’s weight as the suspension struggles to deal with the immense rebound.

What models and trims are available?

Only one power output on offer and just two trim levels to select from. The cheapest model, called Elegance, comes with virtually everything you could want. It’s the equivalent of a mid spec car compared with rivals. This model comes with that enormous infotainment screen, wireless charging, heated front seats and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. 

Around £2,000 more gets you an Advance model, with a panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel and autonomous parking.

Range and charging

Theoretically, according to WLTP testing, it’ll do 256 miles. During our testing we did around 2-3.5 mi/kwh, pinning it at a theoretical range of 200-ish miles. We’ll need to conduct more thorough testing in the UK.

The battery’s maximum charge speed of 78kw means charging time from 10-80% takes around 45 minutes on a rapid charger, or around six hours on an 11kw jobbie.