The Nifty Little Electric Honda N-Van That You Can't Get In The U.S.

America loves Honda vans. We bought more than 2.7 million Odysseys — for better and for worse — between 1995 and 2019 alone. With our growing interest in EVs and the budding infrastructure to support them here, it's a little disappointing Honda has an adorable electric van that it won't sell in America. This June, the Japanese automaker announced it would begin selling a version of its N-VAN that runs on batteries like the toys it resembles.

The new Honda N-VAN e:, with its curious use of colons, is an adorable entry into the EV space for cargo deliveries, small families, harp-plying musicians, or just bike-riding, dog-toting singletons, according to the Honda website pictures. However, like a few other intriguing electric vehicles Honda recently revealed, this affordable, compact, and configurable vehicle will stay on the other side of the Pacific for the foreseeable future — despite America's appetite for Japanese vans.

Does Honda think the N-VAN e: is too compact to find a good foothold in this market? It is petite, at less than 11 feet long and only 4.8 feet wide, seating a maximum of four people. Compare that to a vehicle it might meet on an American road — say, a Ford F-150 Lighting SuperCrew — which is 19.4 feet long and 6.97 feet wide with mirrors folded (and, hilariously, seats only one more). Here some of the incredible features packed into this micro-van.

Many people say that larger equals safer when it comes to vehicles, and is the argument that sells bonkers-big SUVs and trucks. However, this snub-nosed N-VAN e: is loaded with safety features, including Honda's Sensing driver assistance package on the trims designed for passengers — as opposed to freight, more on this, below.

The updated Sensing array of features has added technology we thought was needed, and more. On some electric N-VANs it includes Collision Mitigation Braking, Pedestrian Collision Mitigation Steering — with visual and audible alarms, plus steering assist — Traffic Sign Recognition, Unintended Acceleration Mitigation (to prevent parking garage wall hits), and Auto High Beam Headlights that lower for oncoming cars.

It also has clever adaptations to help its batteries, including cooling and warming them when needed, so they charge faster and lose less range to cold weather. Another battery feature is bi-directional charging, so owners can use the volts to power something outside the vehicle.

The Honda Total Care smartphone app opens up even more flexibility in charging and discharging. The app can set the time of day to charge, avoiding peak energy pricing.. It can limit the electric current that charges the EV, to stay within the household's capacity. And, it can limit the maximum charge or discharge (when batteries are used to power string lights, for example) so owners have enough charge to drive.

Despite the van being rather basic in form, the Honda app adds creature comforts, too. Enter the planned departure time and the N-VAN will pre-cool its interior so passengers won't bake when they step inside on a hot day.

Japan's many narrow streets and love of kawaii have surely contributed to the design of this anime-ready box on wheels. Like the Mazda Flair Wagon, the N-VAN pushes its practical and fun sides in a choice of trims. The G and L2 versions are designed for hauling cargo around town. The G has only a driver's seat (heated!), with the remaining space for freight. The L2 has two seats, in-line, leaving the left side and rear areas for goods. These trims are currently available for lease-only. 

The passenger-friendly L4 and FUN trims seat four and will sell in Japan starting just under $17,000 and just over $18,000, respectively. Three of the seats can fold flat when owners need to cart things instead of people. Each trim has sliding rear doors. The passenger side has no side pillar, creating a wide, unobstructed opening when both doors on the left are opened, for easier loading/unloading of large items. The FUN model offers a different color interior, nifty round LED headlights, and fast-charging capability as standard.

In keeping with the eco mindset of electrified vehicles, Honda uses recycled bumpers for the front grille where the charging port is located. It's one of many things to like about this micro van, which would stand out in a sea of aerodynamically extruded-looking cars on America's roads — if only Honda would give us the chance to buy it.