Geneva Motor Show: Honda e Prototype revealed
Honda’s showstopper at the 89th Geneva Motor Show was the e Prototype – which previews the company’s future electric models for Europe. The concept might remind you of the Honda Urban EV concept which made its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in 2017.
Cut to 2019, Honda has taken a step further in that direction and presented the e Prototype, which is positioned as the next-gen urban commuter. The production version of the e Prototype will be revealed later this year, says Honda. The Honda e Prototype has a range of 200km on a single charge and also boasts of a fast charge function that charges the batteries to give 80 per cent range in 30 minutes, according to the company. It has garnered some interest, as Honda claims that it has received 15,000 registrations for the e Prototype in Europe.
Check out the Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer concept here
Closer to the production version?
Just like the Urban EV concept unveiled in 2017, the e Prototype has a widescreen, which is split to three parts – the driver information cluster, the infotainment screen and another screen showing the car’s technical information along with other functions. Below the wide screen is a wood finish board, below which the a/c vents are placed. The two-spoke steering wheel houses many controls. Instead of the gear lever, the space between the driver and passenger has a console that has buttons for various functions like park, drive and neutral. It also has a switch for drive mode selection and the parking brakes are electric. There are buttons and knobs to control the air conditioning system. The wing mirrors are replaced with cameras that will feed the information to the screens inside. The concept also has a sunroof and the rear bench looks like it can seat two with comfort. Overall, the interior and exterior seem like the production version wouldn’t be much different from the e Prototype concept, baring a few tweaks.
100 per cent electrification for Europe by 2025
The company also announced its intention to move 100 per cent of its European sales to electrified powertrains by 2025. This comes after the brand’s announcement in 2017 with an aim of two-thirds of its sales to be electrified by 2025.
Tom Gardner, Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe
“Since we made that first pledge in March 2017, the shift towards electrification has gathered pace considerably. Environmental challenges continue to drive demand for cleaner mobility. Technology marches on unrelenting and people are starting to shift their view of the car itself.”
