I explore the links between design, innovation and consumer culture. Senior contributor at Forbes Lifestyle and Wallpaper*, I have authored several lifestyle books including The Life Negroni and freelance as content strategist at the London consultancy Spinach Branding.
... [+]The Honda e was announced at the start of the year. Designed with a focus on functionality and usability, the result is a simple, clean exterior, which feels a bit like a smartphone on wheels. The surfaces are as clean as can be, the windows are frameless and door handles flush, which pop open as I approach with my digital key. Meanwhile, the radio, GPS and mobile data antennae are integrated into the top edge of the rear window to add to this clean, uncluttered look.
There is a large glasshouse to invite natural light in what is otherwise a small space and the roof is finished in glossy noir to add to the tech gadget aesthetic. The circular lamps are a nod to the 1972 Honda Civic, as is the gently scalloped detail line that runs across the flank and up the rear end. I’m particularly impressed with the logic of placing the charging port centrally on the bonnet, which also makes a feature, perhaps even a celebration, of the electric drive....
Loos would have been happy to see Honda’s approach, where everything has been stripped out and replaced with such basic logic. The wing mirrors are small digital cameras outside which offer a superior clear view of the surround. It takes a few minutes to get used to them, but I cannot help wonder why other carmakers don’t adopt the technology. The lack of bulky exterior mirrors also helps with the car’s overall aero efficiency.
The Honda e is a pivotal car for the company who has pledged to have all its mainstream European models electrified by 2022, three years ahead of the previously announced goal. The marque’s vision incorporates urban charging solutions to include a bespoke Honda domestic power chargers and commercial energy services.The Honda e is so Japanese and this can only be a positive thing.
Years ago, I was tasked to edit the Honda brand magazine. “Dream” was a lovely little quirky publication, but my work was bound by the lack of exciting products in the family. I couldn’t comprehend why a carmaker with such an exciting brand story anchored on one man’s vision, a dream to explore the limits of transport, lacked all courage in design. The drab portfolio left little to the imagination. How I could have had fun and games with a gadget like this Honda e.
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