Honda's new N-One E would make a great car-share option for Australia

Honda's new electric city car, the N-One E (styled as N-One e:), has been unveiled for the Japanese market this week ahead of domestic and Euro sales kicking off in the coming months.

We shouldn't expect to see this in Australia, of course, unless some grey importers like OZM decide there's some value in it. (As they did in 2021 with the Honda E hatch, but it was an $80K prospect in the end...)

It's really just an electric evolution of the N-One that's been around since the early 2010s, and it's not even half as cool as the Honda E – or especially the concept that preceded it – but I'd still be keen to see it offered here.

Here's what buyers in the sensible, small-car-minded Japanese and European markets will be offered.

As a kei microcar, the N-One E is built to a very specific formula under strict Japanese regulations, restricting its length to less than 3400mm and capping its single electric motor's output at a modest 47kW.

That output won't impress any hotheads but, as sales numbers prove, it's sufficient for its intended urban environment. Likewise, its relatively modest driving range of 245km is unlikely to bother any buyers.

Charging specs reflect its city-centric mission. It supports 50kW DC charging, which sounds slow compared to the latest crop of EVs. However, with its small battery, Honda claims a reasonable 30-minute charge time.

Pointless for Aussies?

Mostly, yeah. It makes sense that models like this aren't considered sensible for Australia, given our urban sprawl.

Even still, I love the idea of cities and councils (or rental companies) parking these around towns with poor public transport and cycling infrastructure as little rentable shuttles for quick trips and errands.

There's genuine potential there!