Cute 2026 Honda N-One e is a small EV with big tech
Baby EV blends V2L charging with range of more than 270kmThe 2026 Honda N-One e all-electric kei car has been unwrapped in Japan which could one day emerge as Australia’s cheapest EV if ever imported Down Under.
Developed to embed some of the Japanese carmaker’s latest EV tech, the new Honda N-One e is said to offer a range of up to 270km, with both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging capability.
Full technical details have yet to be revealed, but the N-One e has been built to comply with Japanese kei car regulation, which ensures that it must measure in at less than 3.4m long and produce less than 47kW from its single e-motor.
Featuring typical boxy styling that maximises every inch of space within, the new Honda features slab sides and high roof, plus a cute face that looks lifted off a robot.
Thought to share some of its hardware with the N-Van e that’s already on sale, the Honda is expected to borrow the same 47kW/162Nm e-motor and a small battery that can be DC charged at up to 50kW or 6kW AC, with a fast charge of 20-80 per cent taking around 30 minutes.
Within, the N-One e is said to employ a huge proportion of recycled materials that includes a grille made from old bumpers, plus carpets and sound deadening derived from both PET bottles and, weirdly, employee’s old work clothes.
While the van version costs ¥2,699,400 ($A28,000) the Honda comes with front, side and curtain airbags, heated seats, a 7.0-inch infotainment system, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist.
With a sportier prototype version of the N-One e already unwrapped recently at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, it’s thought Honda has plans to export its new battery-powered kei car and pitch it as a replacement for the Honda e it sold from 2020-2024.
Unfortunately, it’s not likely the Honda N-One e will make it Down Under, as Mitsubishi has already explored the potential of bringing its eK X to our market only to be thwarted by the high costs of meeting mandatory Australian Design Rules (ADRs).
Honda sells EVs in Europe, North America and Japan, but the Japanese carmaker says a battery-powered vehicle won’t arrive in Australia until 2028.
Related: Honda previews Super EV Concept
Related: Pint-size Mitsubishi EV snuffed out by ADR compliance costs
Related: Honda e scrapped globally
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