8 Best Honda Electric Cars Ever Made

Honda's latest EV is also set to be one of its best yet, although it's not destined for U.S. shores for now. The e:NY1 is based on Honda's new e:N Architecture F platform, which will spawn a range of battery-electric EVs over the coming years. The crossover SUV makes a respectable 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, with an official WLTP range of 256 miles. The latter figure isn't class-leading, but it's significantly better than most of Honda's previous EV efforts.

Honda claims it will take 45 minutes to charge the car from 10% to 80% on a 100kW charger. The automaker's European rollout of BEVs has been slower than many of its rivals, but the president of its Europe division recently defended that decision in an interview with Autocar, saying there was no rush because electric charging infrastructure wasn't adequate yet in many places. The e:NY1 is built specifically for the European market, with two similar models already on sale in China. As charging infrastructure becomes more widespread in the U.S., there's a good chance Honda's BEV range will eventually be brought over, but for now, it remains out of reach.

Despite the U.S. being one of the original markets for its EVs thanks to the California zero-emissions mandate, Honda has trailed behind American manufacturers like Tesla and GM in EV development. A good example of this is the Honda Clarity Electric: It launched the sedan in 2016 with a 161 horsepower motor and a 25.5kWh battery, and only offered it as a lease in California and Oregon. After several years of low sales, it axed the Clarity Electric altogether in 2020, leaving Honda without an all-electric vehicle in its lineup.

The biggest flaw with the car was its limited range: it was only capable of traveling 89 miles between charges. For context, the 2016 Tesla Model S offered at least 210 miles of range even in base-spec form, while the Chevy Bolt offered 238 miles. Other than that, the Clarity Electric was an impressive car, with an interior that was a cut above anything else in Honda's lineup, and a smooth, refined ride. Unfortunately, it was doomed by its limited range, even if it was Honda's best all-electric effort up to that point.

The first ever production Honda EV was launched in 1997, the culmination of a development program that had started almost 10 years prior. Like many electric vehicles of its era, the EV Plus was designed to be a "compliance car" to satisfy California's zero-emissions mandate, and as a result, it was only produced in very low numbers — it's thought just 330 were built. Estimated range stood between 60 and 80 miles depending on how carefully you drove the car, and top speed was claimed to be "over" 80 mph.

Early adopters of any new technology usually pay a premium for the privilege, and the EV Plus was no different. There was no way to buy the car outright, although its sticker price was officially listed as $53,900. For context, that's around $101,000 adjusting for inflation. Instead, buyers could only lease the car from Honda for $455 a month. After the three-year lease period finished, California's zero-emissions mandate had been slackened, and so Honda decided there was no need to continue developing BEVs. The company pivoted to developing hybrids instead, and every example of the EV Plus was eventually reclaimed by Honda and destroyed.

While the Honda Clarity Electric's appeal was dimmed by its short range, the Clarity PHEV suffered no such issues. However, Honda still had a hard time convincing buyers to choose one, and as a result, it was axed alongside the hydrogen fuel-cell variant in 2021. That was despite only launching for the 2018 model year, with an all-electric range of 42 miles and a 1.5-liter gas engine to push the car's full range up to 330 miles. Charging the battery took around 2.5 hours on a 240V supply.

With a combined 181 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque, the Clarity PHEV's performance was reasonable for its segment, if never very exciting. Its design was divisive and likely put some buyers off, with the partially-covered rear wheels often being cited as a particularly poor styling choice on Honda's part. Still, looks aside, the Clarity PHEV was a competent plug-in with an upmarket interior, making it comfortably one of Honda's best EVs even if buyers weren't convinced.

Although Honda's electric car output has been relatively modest so far, it's unlikely to stay that way for long. In 2022, it was revealed that Honda and GM had formed a partnership to develop affordable EVs based on GM's Ultium platform, with the first models launching in 2027. The Japanese automaker has also teamed up with Sony on a new EV brand called Afeela, with the brand's first cars expected to be delivered in 2026. Before those hit the market, the 2024 Prologue has already been announced as the brand's first American all-electric SUV, although details remain scant so far. Another, as-yet-unnamed electric SUV will hit the market the following year, it was recently announced. To keep enthusiasts happy, Honda is planning to release two EV sports cars too, with one potentially being a production version of the EV Sports concept, pictured above.

That's in addition to Honda's ongoing partnerships in the Chinese auto market, which as previously mentioned, will launch 10 models under the e:N brand by 2027. Honda's COO has been upfront about how the company is lagging behind in the race to capture the world's biggest EV market, stating frankly that at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, "We were overwhelmed by the Chinese [automakers]." Clearly, executives recognize that the company's efforts towards electrification up to this point have not been enough to compete, and over the next decade or so, a radical transformation is set to take place across the brand's global lineup. It's almost certain, then, that the best is yet to come for Honda's EV range.