Pricing
If you are looking for a cheap way into electric motoring, then move along, there’s nothing for you to see in a Honda showroom. The Honda e’s list price of £36,920 and upwards is a chunk more than city cars like the Vauxhall Corsa Electric, Ora Funky Cat and the bargain-priced MG ZS EV. It’s quite a few thousand more than the Honda’s biggest rival, the MINI Electric too.
It's also pricier than bigger rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and Kia Soul EV, both of which come with substantially bigger batteries. Reckon on a monthly payment of around £500 to get a Honda e on a lease or PCP finance scheme.
While it doesn’t look great value on paper, the Honda e is obviously a quality car which is packed with interesting technology. That might be worth paying extra for if overall range and interior space aren’t crucial to you.
Running costs
Compared to a petrol or diesel small car, the costs associated with running a Honda e will be tiny. It will cost less than a fiver to ‘fill it up’ from a home charger, and in theory it should take you at least 120 miles. The same cash would get you around 40 miles at best in a conventional car. Servicing should be cheaper too, and the e is exempt from congestion and emission zone charges.
The real saving will be from Benefit In Kind (BIK) taxation though. For the 2022-25 tax year the Honda (and all other electric cars) are rated at 2%, meaning there are possibly thousands of pounds to be saved in company car taxes. It also means you may be able to lease the Honda through a salary sacrifice scheme, reducing the monthly payments by the amount you are taxed on your income. If you’re a higher rate tax payer, that could make the cost less than a petrol car.