Urban

The Volkswagen Group’s long-awaited response to cheap electric vehicles (EVs) from China is shaping up to be one of next year’s most important global debutantes.

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An upgraded, sharper Toyota Corolla hot hatch Toyota has been developing all year has been leaked at a dealer event in the US.

Leapmotor has revealed a new electric hatchback at this year’s IAA Mobility show in Munich, Germany.

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MG is preparing its new cut-price EV.

Honda has revealed its latest new offering, a fully electric version of its N-One hatch.The retro-styled N-One has been a regular fixture of Honda’s Japanese domestic line-up since 2012, and the new electric version is designed to be the “Ideal EV for the Japanese market.”The boxy hatch, which is designed to fit into Japan’s strict Kei classification, is equipped with a large enough battery for a 270km driving range to the WLTC procedure, complete with vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-home features.It maintains the combustion version’s retro exterior design (referencing Honda’s original N360 Kei car from the late 1960s) and has a very minimalistic and space-efficient interior design. Honda said the bonnet and the top of the instrument panel are lined up to improve visibility and accentuate the width of the car, while physical buttons and dials are intentionally maintained in the centre of the dash for ease of use.The N-One e’s bumpers are made from recycled materials discarded from other Hondas. In addition, a bio-resin is used for the dash cladding, and various plastics on the interior are made from recycled PET bottles. As a final touch, the floor carpet and insulation is made from recycled clothes sourced from Honda employees.Like other Kei-class vehicles, the exterior dimensions are small but the rear two seats offer enough room to seat adults, and they can also fold completely flush with the boot floor to maximise storage. The N-One e also scores the brand’s signature magic seats, which can fold up to the seat backs to suit taller objects.Full specifications, including elements like motor power, charging speed, and battery capacity  have yet to be revealed, but it would be unsurprising for them to match the related N-Van e which has already launched to the Japanese market.This would mean a 29.6kWh battery pack able to charge at 50kW on DC for a 30 minute charge time, or a 4.5 hour charge time on a 6kW AC connector. The vehicle-to-load or vehicle-to-home mode has a maximum  output of 1500W.The front-mounted electric motor in the N-Van is expected to be shared with the N-One e and produces just 47kW/162Nm. It features a single-pedal driving mode in both models.Sadly, despite it being built in right-hand drive, the N-One e is likely to remain a Japanese domestic market model. Strict safety standards and the cost to comply the cars for the Australian market generally make these models too expensive or otherwise uncompetitive.Mitsubishi recently evaluated bringing its equivalent EV, the eKX to Australia, but it shelved the idea after admitting that it would be “three star ANCAP or less” and that it was likely to cost more than $30,000 once the work had been completed to comply it for our market.Hyundai recently launched a compact electric city car, the Inster, which starts from $39,000, although it offers significantly more driving range, claimed at up to 327km, and has nearly double the electric motor output.BYD is also considering importing its affordable city-sized electric car, the Seagull, which could have a price-tag in the mid-$20k region.Honda is imminently set to announce new model plans for the Australian market, although its footprint has shrunk in recent years. Currently the Japanese brand offers the HR-V small SUV, ZR-V and CR-V mid-sizers, Civic hatch, and Accord sedan.

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