Dongfeng Honda is offering two versions of the e:NS1 with ranges of 420 km and 510 km, respectively, and a pre-sale price range of RMB 180,000 to 210,000.
(Image credit: Dongfeng Honda)
Pre-orders are now open for Honda's first all-electric model in China, the e:NS1, marking the Japanese automaker's increased efforts in the country's fast-growing new energy vehicle (NEV) market.
Dongfeng Honda, a joint venture between Honda (NYSE: HMC) and Dongfeng Motor, announced the information today, saying that consumers who reserve the car from March 18 to April 10 will receive benefits including a free charging pile and five years of free OTA upgrades.
Dongfeng Honda is offering two versions of the e:NS1, with a pre-sale price range of RMB 180,000 ($28,300) to RMB 190,000 for the version with a CLTC range of 420 km and RMB 200,000 to RMB 210,000 for the version with a range of 510 km.
Consumers can reserve the car by paying RMB 188, far less than the thousands of RMB that mainstream electric vehicle companies charge for reservations.
Honda held a launch event for the company's electrification efforts in China on October 13 last year, officially unveiling its pure electric vehicle brand e:N, where "e" stands for Energize and Electric and "N" refers to New and Next.
The two production models under the brand - Dongfeng Honda's e:NS1 and GAC Honda's e:NP1 - made their debut at the time, and they will be available in spring 2022.
Previous information shows that the e:NS1 has a length, width and height of 4,390 mm, 1,790, mm 1,560 mm, and a wheelbase of 2,610 mm, respectively.
Similar to current mainstream electric vehicles, the Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 eliminates many physical buttons and has a minimalist interior design.
The model offers a 10.25-inch full LCD instrument screen as well as a 15.2-inch center screen with the e:N OS system, which is a fusion of Honda SENSING, Honda CONNECT, and an intelligent digital cockpit.
In China's fast-growing NEV market, the electrification transformation of joint venture car companies lags far behind luxury and local car companies. Honda's increased efforts are expected to change this situation.
Data released earlier this month by the China Passenger Car Association showed that China's wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles in February were 317,000, up 189.1 percent from a year earlier and down 24.1 percent from January.
This includes 245,000 BEVs (battery electric vehicles) as well as 72,000 PHEVs (plug-in hybrids), accounting for 77.3 percent and 22.7 percent, respectively.
Among wholesale sales in February, the penetration rate of NEVs was 21.8 percent, up 12.2 percentage points from 9.6 percent in February 2021. The penetration rate of NEVs among local brands was 38 percent and 29.4 percent for luxury vehicles, while only 3.3 percent for mainstream joint venture brands.
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