Honda eNy1: Priced at €47,700, is it doomed to failure?

Sold for 47,700 euros in France, Honda’s new compact electric SUV does not qualify for the ecological bonus. Is this mistake going to be fatal for it?

Honda is one of the most renowned engineering companies in the world. Its engineers worship their work… and perhaps that’s where the problem lies, unfortunately. In striving to produce gems, development times are long and production costs are very high. But today, customers are no longer willing to buy “something different.” They are looking for a fixed price, a turnkey lease, and will change their vehicle at the slightest opportunity.

The anachronism and naivety of Honda are touching. Years behind in style — as they say, beauty is on the inside — the designers are now delivering absolutely stunning products. This new urban SUV e:Ny1 (pronounced “anyone” in English) is proof. Its sleek, airy lines seem to come from Aston Martin. The success is complete. Half of the customer persuasion work is thus done. The other half remains.

And that’s where everything falls apart. At 47,700 euros retail price in France, the Honda e:Ny1 automatically excludes itself from the game by not being eligible for the ecological bonus. Who came up with the idea of pricing it so high? At Honda France, they defend themselves by claiming that a discount of 701 euros will be offered to the customer so they can receive the 5,000 euro bonus. But the damage is already done: without this information upfront, customers won’t go to the dealership. QED!

And honestly, once the discount is applied, the Honda e:Ny1 still lags behind its competitors such as the Renault Megane E-Tech, Peugeot E-2008, Jeep Avenger, Volvo EX30, Fiat 600, MG4, etc. All already well established in the market (except for the Swedish one, which will benefit from an ultra-aggressive price) offer equal or superior technical specs, similar equipment, and most importantly, prices 3,000 to 5,000 euros lower.

The Honda e:Ny1 truly only has its design to attract buyers: its technical specs offer no breakthrough compared to the market. Its 204 hp power and its “official” mixed WLTP range of 414 km are standard, thanks to its 68.8 kWh battery. Nothing more. Fast charging? Limited to 78 kW when competitors exceed 120 kW. In other words, even long-distance recharges won’t be competitive.

For comparison, Volvo is arriving late to the market too, but its EX30 will offer a “Extended Range” version with 272 hp, 480 km of range, and a charging power doubled to 135 kW for nearly 5,300 euros less! Honda cannot justify higher labor costs since the e:Ny1 is produced in China… And we’re not even talking about a MG4 which, even fully loaded with options and 400 hp, will cost nearly 10,000 euros less!

One can try to find all the sympathy in the world for Honda, but in this case, its engineers have repeated the mistake — and failure — of the Honda E: a beautiful electric city car with ridicule range and prohibitive price (42,100 euros before bonus!). The perfect cocktail to fail to meet market urgent demands.

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