Honda e is the most anticipated EV

Honda e is the most anticipated EV

17 May 2019

The latest Autovista Group poll asked which EV got you the most excited, and we had a brilliant number of responses.

A clear winner in the poll was the Honda e (39%). First launched in prototype form at the IAA 2017 in Frankfurt, the carmaker has stuck to its word, making the production-ready version as close to its retro concept as possible. The Japanese company revealed the little city car's name last month, simply calling it the Honda e, and opened the order books this month.

The Honda e is based on the original Civic, although as with many retro-look cars of today, it features all mod-cons. From LED headlights that sit within a stylish piano black surround, multiple driver assistance systems, and even cameras replacing wing mirrors to reduce aerodynamic drag, it certainly does look like the most appealing EV yet – as backed by respondents to our survey.

Runners-up

In second, with just 10%, was the Volkswagen (VW) ID.3, launched earlier this month.  The new car will spearhead the German carmaker's €30 billion assault on the EV market. Other ID.3 versions will include an entry-level car priced below €30,000, about the same level as diesel variants of the Golf hatchback, and a large battery version. VW has long discussed the need to be a market leader in EVs, and if the car matches up to the hype, it certainly will be an interesting model to watch.

In a close third place was the Porsche Taycan (9%), another model that is derived from a concept. Previously known as the Mission E, the new EV will develop over 600bhp from a dense lithium-ion battery pack, rated at 270-watt-hours per kilogram. Two synchronous electric motors, one mounted on each axle, will provide the drive. These are based on motors featured in the German carmaker's Le Mans-winning 919 LMP1 car and offer compact packaging and weight saving.

Different classes

Tied with 7% apiece were the Audi e-tron and Polestar 2. Both very different to each other, the e-tron is looking to take the SUV market by storm, while the Polestar 2 is taking on Tesla. Audi's first EV went into production recently and will have a system output of up to 300kW, providing acceleration from 0-62mph in less than six seconds. The SUV model covered more than 248 miles on the WLTP test cycle on a single battery charge as well.

The Polestar 2 made its physical debut at the Geneva Motor Show this year and looks futuristic as the spun-out EV brand pushes to be a creator of beautiful cars. It features two electric motors, one on each axle, producing a total of 300kw with 660Nm torque. According to WLTP figures, the car will feature a 500km range and achieve 0-100kmh in 4.7 seconds. The five-door fastback will be available from €39,000, placing it in competition with the Tesla Model 3, which itself came close to beating Polestar, but fell short with 6% of the vote.

British influence

Jaguar's I-Pace was next, taking 5% as the industry watches with interest to see if the success and drive of the company's F-Pace model can transfer to electrification, while the Mercedes-Benz EQC garnered 4%, the e-tron rival going into production earlier this month.

Despite not being launched at the time of the survey, although news of its impending release had surfaced, the MG eZS (launched under the name of MG ZS EV at the London Motor and Tech Show) took 3% of the poll, while the Kia e-Niro came in with 2%.

Many choices

As you would expect in a survey asking about people's favourite models, the ′other' category proved popular, getting 8% of the share. Responses included the VW ID Buggy, a concept launched at Geneva, while others chose the DS7 and Peugeot 208 EV models coming from PSA Group. There were also comments for Mazda's upcoming EV, with those choosing it suggesting that if it's as good as the MX5, then it's worth getting excited about. Ford's EV plans were also mentioned.

However, many commenters suggested that no EV would get them excited as the technology is not advanced enough and they prefer petrol and diesel options.