Geneva 2019: Honda To Bring e Prototype

Bit by bit, little by little, Honda is teasing their up and coming all-electric vehicle that will take the form of a concept vehicle shown a couple of years back. At the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show, Honda is bringing out a prototype of that production model - a halfway house between the Urban EV Concept and what the actual road going version will be. This time we get a better look at the outside, as well as more detailed interior photos.

The outside is slowly beginning to look like a more feasible production model, though it isn't quite as sharp edged as the concept was. This of course is a result of crash safety requirements, but Honda is still trying its best to avoid turning this EV into a bubble car, as some manufacturers have done for their mass market models over the years. Form follows function, with neat aerodynamic tricks such as cameras in place of wing mirrors, stepless windscreens, and flush door handles.

On the inside is where things are clearly being elevated to another level - although whether this level of detail and the number of luxury touchpoints manage to survive until the production phase is something that remains up in the air. The centre of the dashboard is dominated by a huge panoramic display which doubles as an entertainment centre when not the vehicle status, while a flat floor is a quick reminder that this is: a) from Honda, and b) a practical city car. 

In terms of the actual mechanicals of this future EV model, Honda says it'll go over 200 km on a single charge, with fast charge functionality getting the battery up to 80% in just 30 minutes. Rather interestingly, it's going to be a rear-wheel drive machine - much like some smaller EVs on the market - which makes sense given the kind of packaging involved and the fact that this EV is designed to be charged from the front.