Honda e pulled from sale in the UK

The adorable Honda e electric city car has been removed from sale in the UK after just three years. 

The tiny hatchback was launched in 2020 after massive demand for Honda to turn its 2017 cute Urban EV Concept car into a roadgoing model, but has subsequently failed to find a home with buyers.

The production version stuck closely to the concept’s retro-futuristic design and was praised for its looks and smart, high-tech, high-quality interior. But Honda has now confirmed that it won’t be taking any more orders for the car, and the model has vanished from the company’s retail website. 

Back to the future. Honda has called time on its funky but slow-selling e

Honda said the e had spearheaded its electrification strategy and brought "many new customers to the brand with its distinctive design, advanced technology and trademark Honda driving dynamics". However, across Europe, it sold fewer than 4,000 examples per year - less than half the predicted reach. 

Those sluggish sales can most likely put down to the car’s relatively short range and high price. With an official range of 137 and a real-world range that could plummet to just 100 miles in cold weather, the e was lacking even in comparison rivals like the Fiat 500e and Mini Electric. Making matters worse, the Honda e was priced a a steep £32,000 when it launched and by the time it was taken off sale, prices had jumped to more than £37,000 - that’s the same as a Kia Niro EV, which will seat five and cover up to 285 miles on a charge. 

The demise of the Honda e means that the brand offers just one fully electric model - the e:Ny1 SUV - although the brand recently announced that it would showcase its next electric model at the CES technology conference in January 2024.  

Honda sold fewer than 4,000 examples per year - less than half the predicted reach