Honda Urban EV concept is coming, and it will be called Honda e

One of the most memorable Honda concepts of recent years was the Urban EV concept, shown at the Frankfurt motor show in 2017. The concept immediately invited comparisons to the original Civic hatch of the 1970s with its clean lines, hatchback body and two large round headlights joined by a darker grille. Many elements of the concept were a nod to one of the first major hits for the Japanese automaker in the U.S. and in other export markets, which landed in 1972 and greatly helped popularize the subcompact hatch segment, especially at a time when gas prices skyrocketed in the U.S.

The concept shown in Frankfurt was said to have an output of around 100 hp and over 200 lb-ft of torque, courtesy of a single rear-mounted electric motor drawing juice from a battery pack ranging in capacity from 25 to 30 kWh. At the time of its debut, Honda mentioned a range of 125 miles on a full charge in the somewhat optimistic WLTP cycle — it is a small car, after all — and the capacity to charge its battery up to 80 percent in 30 minutes.

The automaker revealed this week that the production version will be called simply the Honda e, and it will start rolling out of the factory later this year, bound for Europe and Japan.

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