The eNy:1 is a compact family electric runabout with size and styling similarity to the HR-V.

CLUNKY monicker, interesting association with a recently-launched lookalike internal combustion car and potential it could ultimately be a singular play.

That’s the e:Ny1, a small electric car Honda New Zealand will have on sale here in a few months from now.

Aside from today acknowledging it has signed off on bringing the five-seater to market as their first official battery-dedicated choice, the Auckland-based distributor has declined to give detail of likely pricing or specification.

Honda NZ’s electric-involved presence has to date restricted to petrol engine-tied hybrids, some so advanced as to use the combustion element as a generator of electric feed. The latest of that line, the Civic sedan, has gone on sale and will be launched to media next week.

The only existing right hand drive export market for eNy:1 has been the United Kingdom.

It takes the model - whose name is supposed to leave impression this is an ‘electric for anyone’ - in 152kW single motor front drive format, using a 61.9kWh battery (usable capacity) lithium ion battery offering 411 kilometres WLTP-cited range and 0-100kmh in 7.2 seconds.

Of the cars Honda UK cites specifically as rivals, just the Nissan Ariya is also sold here.

The front-drive editions of that car equips with a 63kWh battery and represent for $76,990 (Engage) and $82,990 (Advance), but those full RRPs only hit after March 31. Until then they are discounted to $59,990 and $69,990, plus on-road costs. In the UK, the e:Ny1 prices between those variants but specifies more toward the Advance.

There’s also potential that, because of its close styling and size similarity, the 4387mm long e:Ny1 could conceivably pitch in the Honda fan mindset as a fully electric alternate to the HR-V petrol hybrid crossover, which has been here since August in $45,800 Sport format.

The two cars share an almost-identical body and are visually so alike it could be imagined Honda has taken the HR-V, blanked off the grille and stuffed a battery underneath in place of the engine.

However, although they do look superficially alike on the outside, underneath the e:Ny1 uses a bespoke all-electric platform, called e:N.

The architecture could yet have an interesting place in Honda’s electric car programme, which ultimately aims to reach to solid votary cars before end of this decade.

Until last week e:N was seen as the underpinning expected to be the basis of an entire new lineup of fully-electric Hondas.

Now? Not so much.

In unveiling of two concepts - and sharing of their on-sales strategy (basically, kick off the United States next year, then sell in Japan and Europe) for their lookalike production formats - at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas seven days ago, Honda made clear it now has biggest plans for another an all-new platform called the 0-Series. (As in Zero Hour, a new starting point for the brand’s electric car plans).

There is conjecture, now, that ultimately the e:Ny1 might also become an electric orphan, a status already held by Honda’s first electric car, the Honda e.

However for its part the factory has signalled long-term allegiance to the e:Ny1, suggesting it has a valid global role to play.

Much moreso than the Honda e, which was expected to capitalise on a growing market for electric city cars in Europe and Japan, and was planned to lead the Japanese car giant's EV rollout, but instead ceased production last year after just four years of sale.

A small count of Honda e cars exists in NZ, having arrived as grey imports but it was never on the cards as a Honda NZ product.

The e:Ny1 is more sober-suited styling wise than the Honda e, but is designed to be a better all-rounder.

For the hopes attached to it, the ‘e’ suffered slow sales and was criticised for carrying a high price and offering a limited 200km driving range.

The e:Ny1 hasn’t had an easy road in the UK since it launched there last year.

While the car’s decent range, roominess, practicality and performance have been praised, some have questioned the conservative recharging rate, the result of Honda having configured the car with a 50kW DC charger, as the ‘fast’ alternate to its three-phase AC set-up, which has a maximum charging capacity of 11kW. In optimal conditions, fully recharging the car on AC takes about 6.3 hours, but even on DC it's a 1.7 hour process.

In respect to technology, Honda has taken opportunity to furnish the e:Ny1 with Honda Parking Pilot, which gives the car the ability to park itself.

Also, while most Honda models still come with physical controls for the air conditioning and some physical shortcuts for the infotainment system, the e:Ny1 does away with them.

Instead, everything is controlled through the central, vertical 15.1in touchscreen, which is split into three sections – the bottom of which is permanently used for the air-con and heated seat controls.

The configuration accepts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with those displays smartphone mirroring on the top screen with driving data continuing in the middle.