Honda hopes to boost EV sales in its home country by targeting one of the most popular market segments: boulder vans. These small, city-friendly freight and passenger carriers are a common sight on Japanese roads, and the electric N-Van e: is designed for a wide range of jobs.
The model isn’t entirely new: it was unveiled in December 2022, although details were scarce, and it’s based on a three-cylinder van released in Japan in 2018. From a styling perspective, not much has changed. in the last year and a half, and the N-Van e: is still long, narrow and the shape of the box it came in. Some of the finer designs vary from trim level to trim level. The e:FUN variant, for example, stands out with round LED inserts in the headlights with historic laces, and is available in various trim-specific colors and color combinations.
Honda has several use cases in mind, and there’s a version to suit almost every customer. The lineup initially includes four trim levels called e: L4, e: FUN, e: G and e: L2 respectively. The L4 has four seats, as the name vaguely implies, and is designed with both commercial and recreational users in mind. The FUN also has four seats, but is the more leisure-oriented version of the bunch; in particular, it will have a nicer interior. The G has one seat and a redesigned dashboard to allow users to carry longer items, while the L2 has two seats in a tandem configuration.
Full specifications have not been revealed. All we know is that power comes from a single electric motor that moves the front wheels, and that the battery pack contains enough electricity to deliver a range of up to 150 miles. That’s enough for a bit boulder van, as most of them spend their time zigzagging through busy cities making deliveries. Honda notes that it has retained the van’s relatively large trunk.
Prices range from ¥2,439,800 for the single-seater to ¥2,919,400 for the FUN, figures that represent approximately $15,600 and $18,600 respectively, at the current exchange rate. For context, the gasoline-powered N-Van has a base price of ¥1,365,100 (about $8,700).
