Honda e:Ny1 set to be renamed at upcoming facelift
Honda's new Chinese model naming system drops the e:N prefix; could translate to European markets
Honda is changing the naming of its electric cars after customers found the e:N badging too difficult to pronounce.
The Japanese brand unveiled the new naming system at the Beijing motor show, starting with the Ye P7 large SUV that will go on sale in China later this year.
Honda UK imports its sole EV, the e:Ny1 small SUV, from China, where the e:N naming convention comes from, and the name will be changed when the car is facelifted, a source close to Honda said.
“Customers in China just can’t pronounce it,” the source told Autocar.
The update, expected next year, will also incorporate some of the design features of the P7, including the illuminated Honda badge, the source said.
In China, Honda uses either the e:NS1 or e:NP1 name for its small electric SUV, depending on whether the car is made by its joint venture with Dongfeng or that with GAC, while in Europe it uses e:Ny1.
Honda's new Chinese model naming system drops the e:N prefix; could translate to European markets
www.autocar.co.uk