Honda has, for now, one electric vehicles in it’s range of cars which is, for now, largely irrelevant to those who have no desire to submit to the electric mandate—particularly in the United Kingdom, where the state toys with the idea of a charge-by-mile tax.

Honda itself concedes that hybrids—not full electrification—represent the most pragmatic path forward. But pragmatism has little currency in the bureaucratic machinery of the European Union. Mandates do not debate philosophy or accommodate nuance; they issue decrees. Compliance is not requested—it is enforced.

And so emerges the Honda e:Ny1, a vehicle shaped less by consumer demand or engineering pragmatism, more by political necessity. Like so many electric cars, it stands as a symbol of progress promised, of dissent subdued. 

The question is, can the pure electric Honda e:Ny1 lure drivers away from the hinterlands of petrol?

The Exterior 

The e:Ny1 is built upon familiar ground. It is derived from the HR-V Hybrid, carrying over much of the same exterior and interior design language. The front grille is absent, the bumper reshaped, understated changes that is easy to miss.

The design is clean and almost minimalist, defined by balance and small amounts of flourish. Its proportions are careful, its surfaces neat, its overall appearance calm and orderly. 

The HR-V Hybrid first appeared in 2021; the e:Ny1 followed in 2023. For now, choice is limited. Two trim levels are offered: the entry-level Hyper, priced at £40,000, and the Advance at £42,000.

The Interior

The minimalist design language extends into the cabin, where first impressions are mostly reassuring. The materials quality feels good yet the prevalence of hard plastics over soft-touch surfaces is immediately apparent.

There are glimpses of softer, higher-grade materials at key touchpoints, but they are easily overwhelmed by the solid build quality.

The seats, however, offer a good levels of comfort which are faced in supple leather. Space, too, is a measured compromise.

The front seats are generous; the rear passenger bench seating adequate, though the knee room is modestly good—a quiet acknowledgment of the vehicle’s compact ambitions. 

Boot space is serviceable, practical for the routines of urban life. Fold the rear seats, and capacity grows to a respectable 1,350 litres.

Equipment is generous in the Advance trim; the list of features is extensive and can be viewed in full here. But as long as I have heated front seats, cruise control, and all-round parking sensors with a rear camera, I’m perfectly satisfied. The heated steering wheel is a welcome bonus, though.

Infotainment System

You can’t miss it: the omnipresent, vertically aligned infotainment system—all 15.1 inches of it. Through this screen, you access navigation, vehicle settings, media, and heating controls, all logically stacked at the point of touch.

If you hate touchscreens and prefer physical buttons, this system represents the great divide. Personally, I don’t mind the lack of physical controls; I simply adjust and get used to it.

That said, some of the loudest critics of in-car touchscreens—particularly for things like heating controls—have no issue texting while driving on their smartphones, yet still have the gall to complain about digital infotainment systems.

Anyway, rant over.

It’s a decent touchscreen system: modestly responsive and simply laid out on screen. Like any system, it has its quirks, but you quickly find shortcuts to get where you want to be. But you do have the option to go full Android Auto or Apple CarPlay if that is your fix.

The voice control, however, isn’t great. If you’ve used an Android-based operating system, this feels more like a Star Trek-style onboard computer, whereas Honda’s native voice assistant clearly needs a few more lessons.

The Drive

The e:Ny1 is powered by a 204bhp electric motor producing 350Nm of torque, delivering punchy, seamless power with ease. I often say EV motors feel like a V6 engine—but with better drivability and instant power delivery.

Road and tyre noise at 70mph isn’t best in class, but it’s certainly not the worst either. Ride and handling is composed and comfortable at motorway speeds; the steering is relaxed and unflustered, and the car feels planted and stable.

At low to mid-speed urban driving, the car behaves in a composed manner. Push a little harder through a roundabout and you’ll notice some body lean and roll. However, on a twisty country road driven at sensible speeds, it handles perfectly well.

Yes, there are the usual driving modes. I tried them all and settled on Eco mode, as it’s the most relaxed setting and it never feels short on power.

As for driver assistance features, everything is present: cruise control, lane assist, parking cameras, and more. This is the top specification, so you’d expect a comprehensive equipment list. As usual, the Japanese pack in plenty of extras without excessively inflating prices.

Efficiency

The e:Ny1 sits on a 69kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which strikes a reasonable middle ground for range. During my time with the car, I achieved between 2.6 and 2.8 miles per kWh in frigid November weather. That’s acceptable.

Honda quotes a WLTP range of 256 miles, but in the real world you’re looking at around 190–200 miles, which is fine. What isn’t fine is the lack of a heat pump—not even as an option—which is an oversight given that efficiency, and therefore range, would have been improved.

As for public superchargers, the e:Ny1 is limited to 78kW DC charging. That’s not great, but also not a signifcant deal-breaker. Studies show that around 90% of EV owners charge at home using an 11kW wallbox, so the slower supercharger speed doesn’t bother me too much.

What I do take issue with is the state of public charging in the UK. While it has improved over the past three years, using public chargers is still something of a lottery. This is why I generally favour EVs with maximum possible range.

Epilogue

The final verdict? The Honda e:Ny1 is an OK EV. However, competition at this price point is fierce. For similar money, you can get the larger and more capable Xpeng G6, or the Tesla Model Y Standard Range—and in todays market you can get cheaper EVs that offer more range at a cheaper price.

It feels like Honda has brought a gun to a ballistic missile war. While the e:Ny1 is unmistakably a Honda, it simply needs more firepower to compete with its peers at this price point.