Honda unveils new electric car concept for production in 2019

It’s the Frankfurt Motor Show and everyone is unveiling new electric car concepts. After VW’s new all-electric SUV, Mercedes’s new electric EQA hot hatch concept, and BMW’s four-door electric “i Vision Dynamics” concept, now Honda is unveiling its own electric concept.

What is interesting is that some of those automakers are talking about bringing versions of those concepts to production and Honda is among them.

The “Urban EV Concept” that Honda unveiled today will “set the direction for a future Honda production model scheduled for 2019, says the automaker.

Honda Motor Co. President and CEO, Takahiro Hachigo, said during his press conference speech:

“This is not some vision of the distant future; a production version of this car will be here in Europe in 2019,”

The Japanese automaker didn’t release any spec for the retro-looking vehicle and only a few renders with a prototype at the event in Frankfurt:

Honda describes the vehicle:

“Honda’s Urban EV Concept can accommodate four occupants, across two bench seats finished in different materials. To create a lounge feeling, the front row is upholstered with natural grey fabric, with the seat backs, squabs and arm rests embellished with contemporary wood finish accents. The seatbelts for the rear bench are fixed in the middle of the seat, allowing the belt to retract out of the way before a passenger exits the car.”

With the vehicle, Honda also unveiled what it calls a “Power Manager Concept”, which is both an electric vehicle charger and a system to manage the car’s energy capacity to power your home or the grid.

Honda says that they will supply the device for a pilot project in France.

Electrek’s Take

There isn’t much to say about it since Honda is keeping its cards close to the chest here. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s because the car’s specs are simply not really impressive, especially for a concept, but they don’t need to be if it’s aimed at the urban market in Europe.

What needs to be impressive is its price. At a reasonable price, the vehicle could potentially be competitive with Renault’s Zoe, Daimler’s Smart cars, and other compact vehicles popular in Europe.

We apparently have to wait another 2 years to have a better idea of what Honda is working on, but as we recently reported, they can’t do worse than their first electric car effort, the Clarity.