Next-generation Jazz / Fit to be revealed with hybrid powertrain in October
Honda surprised everyone nearly two years ago when it unveiled an electric car that was specifically designed for the city at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Its retrolicious design made the Urban EV a huge success. The Sports EV concept that was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show was a similar sensation. Honda presented an updated prototype of its tiny EV earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle displayed the E Prototype nameplate.
Update:
Now, the tiny electric car will no longer be called “Honda e” and will simply be known as the “Honda e”. To highlight its name, the Japanese marque released a teaser video of the road-going EV. However, it does not show the hatchback’s full features. The showcar’s look is reflected in the taillights that are rounded and partially black.
We don’t expect any major changes in design, as the Honda refreshed prototype was 95 percent production-ready when it was displayed in Geneva earlier in the year. The rear doors will be added to the final version, but overall styling will remain the same as the 2019 model.
The production model’s technical specifications have not yet been released. However, we will remind you that the e Prototype had more than 124 miles (200 km) of range and required only 30 minutes to charge its 80 percent battery.
The Honda E will not be an electric conversion from an existing model or platform. Instead, it will use an entirely new architecture specifically designed for electric cars. Already, the company hinted at the possibility of developing a series based on this platform. Kohei Hitomi, the e Prototype’s Project Manager, stated that he would like to see a sports car built with the new underpinnings. This could indicate that the Sports EV concept may be produced.
Honda announced that the next-generation Jazz (Fit), will be able to accept a hybrid powertrain which is derived from the electrified Honda CR-V. The revamped supermini was in testing at the end March. It will officially be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.