Cheap electric car from Honda... It has a range of 295 kilometers

PRICE/PERFORMANCE CAR The company announced on Thursday that its N-ONE e: kei car will go on sale starting September 12 for ¥2.7 million ($18,300, about 755,000 lira). The vehicle can travel 295 kilometers (183 miles) on a single charge, surpassing the 180-kilometer range of Nissan Motor's Sakura, the country's most popular electric vehicle.

Kei cars account for about a third of Japan's car market, and Honda already dominates the sector. Its gasoline-powered N-Box model has become the country's best-selling car. However, manufacturers are struggling to gain a significant foothold in the local EV market, with consumers deterred by high prices and inadequate charging infrastructure, opting for gasoline-electric hybrids.

HONDA IS GOING WITH PEOPLE’S STYLE “When it comes to introducing electric vehicles, our way of thinking is to start with the vehicles people are most familiar with,” said Hideo Kawasaka, who heads Honda’s Japan regional operations.Electric vehicles are expected to account for only 3.4 percent of new vehicle sales in the country by 2025, according to BloombergNEF. This significantly slows Japan’s transition to cleaner transportation compared to countries like the U.S., Europe and China.

Still, automakers believe consumer tastes will change in the long term. Alongside Honda, local brands Suzuki Motor and Toyota Motor will also jointly launch a Kei EV this year. Meanwhile, China's BYD also plans to launch a battery-powered Kei in Japan next year, according to the Financial Times. "We anticipate the competitive landscape will become increasingly fierce, so we plan to make continuous improvements to strengthen the Honda brand's value in the EV market," Kawasaka said.