Honda teases 'E' production EV for overseas market

The E won't come to the US, but the same platform could be used for a different small car to be sold in American showrooms.

Honda has released a teaser photo for its tiny urban electric vehicle, to be sold as the 'E.'

The image appears to confirm that the production car will keep the E Prototype's retro styling, which received a "big reaction" from the US, according to recent comments from project head Kohei Hitomi, though it will not be coming to America.

The platform is claimed to be compliant with US safety standards, and Hitomi confirmed that "there are other plans for the US," though he did not elaborate.

The Japanese automaker also showed a Sports EV concept, another retro-themed small car presumably based on the E platform. Given the lack of demand for city cars and small sports cars in the US, however, the most likely candidate for an American launch is a small crossover that could serve as an all-electric alternative to the popular HR-V.