Honda starts selling its first electric car offered in China
Honda and its joint venture partner GAC, have started selling their first electric model in China. It remains to be seen whether the electric car will also be offered in Europe.
The VE-1 compact SUV, which was presented at the end of last year, has an output of 120 kW, an NEDC range of 400 kilometres and is now available at prices starting at 159,800 yuan (approx. 20,500 euros) after subsidies.
The battery has an energy content of 53.5 kWh, according to Chinese reports NMC 622 cells will be used. Honda grants a warranty of eight years or 150,000 kilometres on the drive train (including battery) and three years or 100,000 kilometres on the rest of the vehicle.
Honda and its joint venture partners GAC and Dongfeng need higher volumes of New Energy Vehicles (NEV) to meet the requirements of the Chinese government. The compact SUV, which, according to Honda, is primarily intended to appeal to commuters, therefore has an important role to play.
The VE-1 is based on the Honda HR-V, which is also available in Europe. With combustion engines, the compact SUV is available in Germany from 21,590 euros, for example. It remains to be seen whether the electric version will also leap to Europe. Last week Honda announced that it would be accelerating its electrification strategy in Europe by three years. In addition to the Honda e presented at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt this year, another BEV is to follow by 2022. Among the six electrified models announced, there will also be a “stylish SUV”.
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