Honda has intrigued with a compact electric car in the style of a kei-car
Honda is gearing up for July's Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will show several new products. The Japanese company will present the final version of the hot hatch Civic Type R Ultimate Edition, a new Prelude and an unusual crossover 0 SUV. But the main intrigue will be a concept with a loud name Super EV.
Here's What We Know
Honda is still keeping details of the compact model in camouflage secret. But there are suspicions that it could be a concept version of the successor to the Honda e hatchback, whose production ended in January 2024.
The rectangular shape and high roof are reminiscent of Japanese kei-cars - especially the N-One model, which is sold in Japan. Admittedly, it's unclear if these cars are related. The N-One uses only a 658cc petrol three-cylinder motor.
The Super EV looks no smaller than the former Honda e. If the dimensions are similar, it will be noticeably longer than the N-One. According to Japanese rules kei-cars can't be longer than 3.4 metres, and the discontinued Honda e was almost half a metre longer.
Honda calls the novelty an A-class car. By European standards, it is the class of Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto or the discontinued Volkswagen e-Up. Among electric cars, the nearest competitor is Hyundai Inster. By the way, the Koreans use a similar strategy: the Inster is based on the Casper model from the Korean analogue of kei-cars.
Although Honda calls the car a concept, the Super EV looks almost ready for production. This is evident from the regular mirrors, functional lower air intake and normal wheels. Usually concepts are made as futuristic as possible and put on huge discs, but there is no such thing here.
A charging port hatch can be seen next to the covered logo. There are light and rain sensors on the top of the windscreen. Honda has opted for large traditional door handles instead of hidden ones. A horizontal slot in the closed grille can serve for cooling.
The right-hand drive concept has a number plate - it looks like Honda is already testing it on UK roads. Inside, you can see part of the tablet-like multimedia display protruding from the front fascia.
The purple film will be removed from the concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which will take place from 10 to 13 July 2025. That's when we'll find out what lies beneath the mysterious Super EV name. If Honda is indeed creating an affordable electric kei-car for Europe, it could be an interesting alternative to expensive electric city cars with the right pricing.
Source: Honda
