The all-electric Honda N-Van e: was revealed in Japan yesterday, retaining most of the ICE model’s characteristics while adding the benefit of a zero-emissions powertrain.
Set to go on display during the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at the end of October, the battery-powered small commercial vehicle will go on sale in the spring of next year with a targeted WLTC range of over 130 miles (210 kilometers), which should be enough for short trips in the city, Honda says.
The capacity of the floor-mounted battery hasn’t been detailed, but the Japanese automaker says it can be recharged in about five hours from a 6-kilowatt AC outlet, and that owners can also export up to 1.5 kW of power thanks to the vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality. DC fast charging at up to 50 kW is also possible, replenishing the battery from about 10 percent to 80 percent in 30 minutes.
Outside, the electric van looks pretty much the same as its gas-burning counterpart, with the exception of the charging port fitted in the front grille that’s made out of recycled bumpers sourced from end-of-life vehicles.
Two sliding doors are offered, and the opening on the left benefits from a pillarless design, allowing users to load large items with ease. Furthermore, three trim levels will be offered, one of which only has two seats – one for the driver and one for a rear passenger, maximizing cargo space.
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The two passenger-oriented versions have seating for four people, and all the passenger seats can be folded flat to accommodate for large items. The maximum load capacity for the cargo version is rated at 771 pounds (350 kg), while the four-seater can carry up to 661 pounds with two passengers seated.
On the top-spec variant, the N-Van e: comes with the Honda Sensing advanced driver assistance (ADAS) suite, the Honda Connect system for accessing some of the car’s features remotely via a smartphone, as well as dual side curtain airbags – a first for the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment, Honda claims.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but last year the Japanese manufacturer mentioned a targeted starting price of 1 million yen (roughly $6,700) for its zero-emissions kei van.
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