Honda E Urban EV gets 148bhp and 221lb/ft of torque

The new Honda E – Honda’s production take on the Urban EV Concept – gets a 148bhp electric motor with 148bhp and 221lb/ft of torque.

The Honda E – the car we know as the Urban EV – is busy doing something of a dance of the seven veils ahead of its debut, and today we get more information to give us an idea of how lively the Honda E will be.

We already know the Honda E will come with fancy cameras instead of door mirrors and that it will get a modest battery size of 35.5kW, enough for its target use as an Urban EV, if not the most practical if you want to venture further afield.

That said, the range of 125 miles can be topped up quite quickly, with the Honda E delivering an 80 per cent charge in under 30 minutes using a CCS2 DC rapid charger.

What we haven’t know until now is that the single electric motor – driving the back wheels of the Honda EV – will deliver a quite useful 148bhp and, instantly available, torque of 221lb/ft. Which should make for some fun urban darting.

That decent amount of power and lump of torque should make the Honda E feel almost like a modern take on the original Mini around town, and it will probably be even more manoeuvrable thanks to its rear-wheel drive leaving the front wheels to do what they do best – steering – and steer in an appealingly small radius of just 4.3 metres (a chunk less than a London Black Cab).

Handling should be good too thanks to a low centre of gravity, 50:50 weight distribution, and wide and short, promising not just sharp handling but comfort too.

Fancy one? Then you need to reserve your Honda E.