Could the e:Prototype unveiled in China this week become Honda NZ’s first electric car?

 MIGHT the next generation of Honda’s smallest crossover be set to hit in a fully electric specification to offer as an alternate to petrol-hybrid and fully fossil-fuelled versions already cited for New Zealand? 

That speculation in respect to the HR-V has been fuelled by the brand’s star attraction of this week’s Shanghai motor show.

Even though the front and rear styling has been heavily revised, the SUV e:Prototype is clearly based on the new HR-V, which Honda unveiled several months ago and is expected to reach New Zealand in the second quarter of 2022.

Honda has confirmed that the e:Prototype is destined for production, with plans to be rolled out on a global scale.

Some say this means it could be the first electric Honda to be officially offered in our market.

Honda says the car is the first of 10 similar electric vehicles it intends to roll out over the coming five years.  

Aside from the design influence from the new HR-V, it has bespoke touches of a thin LED strip in the front and at the top, LED eye-shaped headlights and thin side mirrors.

The LED logo in the front envelops the panel which comes as its charging port. The sides of the vehicle include retractable front door handles, black body cladding, while the rear of the SUV sports twin tail lamps integrated by a light bar and the Honda logo in the middle.

The model features the company's proprietary ADAS driver-assist and safety systems and Honda Connect, which enable Wifi connectivity, over-the-air updates and a smartphone link leveraging a voice recognition mechanism.

Honda says the car’s AI-driven smarts furnish users with connectivity to online shopping and smart home appliances and also utilises digital key via the smartphone.

The company has not revealed any specifications of the battery size, number of electric motors, power or driving range.