Will the next gen Honda Jazz will be a full EV?

[Bristol_Crosstar]

By the time the next model comes out EV battery technology may have improved, but unless batteries are cheaper by then it means the Jazz will be to expensive for it's usual target market (it's already gone that way to an extent with the Mk 4). They would be better off having both options as other manufacturers have already done, ie hybrid and EV choices.

We already have an EV as a second car and it's great for local trips and cheaper to run than the Jazz. However the Jazz is better for longer trips, we regularly go down to Cornwall and there the EV charging infrastructure is very sparse, the south-west is generally pretty poor for coverage. The driving experience is very similar for both cars so I don't think many people would be willing to pay for example an extra £10K for an EV version of the car, the only advantage would be the lower running costs. It will happen eventually, if the infrastructure improves rapidly in the next three years (and not just in London and the south-east) then it would have a better chance of success.

[Expatman]

This is a difficult one - most of us drive less than 30 miles per day so an EV with 200 miles range should be suitable. BUT, and it’s a big BUT - 2 or 3 times a year we go on holiday or to visit friends/relatives and then 200 miles range becomes a problem. 200 miles range really means 150 miles range at best because who amongst us runs their petrol tank dry before refilling? Most of us fill at the 1/4 tank level and running an EV to empty would be even more problematical, you can’t get a cans worth of electricity like you can get a cans worth of petrol! Charging points at holiday locations are even more difficult to find than in urban areas - try coastal Dorset (or similar) and see how you get on. Okay if you don’t mind spending an odd day of your holiday driving to a recharge station then queuing to get on the charger, but that’s not the way I want to spend my holiday.
This was brought home to me last winter when a family illness crisis meant me driving immediately from North Yorkshire to Cornwall. Dropped everything, drove to petrol station and filled up in a matter of minutes then drove to Cornwall with just a brief comfort, coffee to go and refuel stop of 10 minutes. Mostly quiet motorway driving so cruising at 70 MPH (ahem) was easy and not stressful so arrived a bit stiff but otherwise fine. Imagine if that was in an EV with 150 actual miles range, would have had to delay leaving while car charged up and then would have had to stop at least twice to recharge on route. That would have added at least 3 hours to the journey and been stressful to say the least.
If you can always plan then EV’s are great but for those times you can’t then until the range and recharging facilities are both vastly improved EV’s are really problematical.

[ColinB]

People want a decent range...

The question remains: what do we consider a "decent" range? Is that 250 mi. or maybe 350 mi. or better 450 miles?

You're absolutely right that, if logic is applied, then perhaps a big range isn't necessary. But folks will be switching from IC cars that have between 400 and 500 miles range, and moreover can be refueled in just a few minutes. It's not surprising that people will want an EV that gets as close to that as possible in order to preserve the flexibility that they're used to, and (with current technology) that demands a big battery and big car to carry it, so smaller cars are less attractive both to customers and to manufacturers. .

[CB72]

Honda Jazz Concepts:

[richardfrost]

Whatever traction and fuel system Honda choose, if they want to sell bucketloads, it needs to be cheaper. There’s no getting round that. The EV breakthrough technology is about 10 years away from being available in the affordable small car sector.

[madasafish]

My simple guide to range has two considerations:

1. I like to stop on a long drive every 2-3 hours  so  a range of 200miles In WINTER  is fine. (which means 260miles quoted,)

2. Any stop must be guaranteed to have fuel - either petrol or current. I don't want an app, numerous options etc. I just want to drive and refuel like I do with a petrol car.
With the current stat of charging we are 15 years away from that. Typical Government competence

[Karoq]

I had a long chat with my Honda sales manager about the 'E'. I came to the conclusion like so many other smaller EVs (Mazda etc) the reason was that the range was ridiculously low.
I borrowed one, the first EV I had ever driven and I was most impressed with the performance.
The other problem I think was the dash wide screen. I assume it was designed to attract the younger customers. If so that is the second time Honda have mad that mistake. The first one was the original HR-V advertised as the 'JOY WAGON' pictured with 20 something, smiling girls and boys. 80 % of the HR-Vs sold by my dealer went to much older customers who wanted a taller car to ease arthritic ingress & egress!
BYD have invented the 'BLADE' battery which does away with Li-Ion, charges faster and gives much improved range.
Public charge points are now everywhere.
I looked on the 'find a charger' page on my eNiro screen and there were over 40 within a 4 mile radius on the borders of Somerset & Dorset.
So I must disagree with the comment that the infra structure  is not sufficient.
You won't be seeing me in an I.C.E. anytime soon. EV for me!

[John Ratsey]

Unless my driving ambitions shrink substantially, I'll be looking for a 200 mile winter range. Charging away from home is usually more expensive per mile than petrol. A friend recently bought a 2nd hand early Nissan Leaf which claimed to have a battery that is still over 90% healthy. However, the 160 mile trip to get it home took 12 hours and four charging stops (the only one full charge per day limit didn't help). This highlights the problem with trying to do a longer trip with a low range EV. That car is at home to serve as a 2nd car for local trips only but getting it there was a hassle. Sufficient chargers, both in number and spacing, will remain a problem if EV ownership ramps up. One constraint is needing to site charger locations close to power lines capable of supporting several high power chargers.

I hope Honda remember that there's a substantial market for people who want a higher seating position. My EV Jazz successor would therefore sandwich the battery in a double-skin floorpan under the current Jazz body shape to give a higher vehicle with a low centre of gravity. It won't be quite as aerodynamic as a low and sleek vehicle but is likely, subject to a sensible price, attract those who bought the previous Jazzes.

[Kremmen]

I've seen countless reports of broken chargers, queues for chargers, and of course charging time

So looking online and finding 40 chargers actually means very little

I can forsee many unhappy drivers ahead faced with the above charging network and hours of charging delays

[Whiteshark]

I had a long chat with my Honda sales manager about the 'E'. I came to the conclusion like so many other smaller EVs (Mazda etc) the reason was that the range was ridiculously low.
I borrowed one, the first EV I had ever driven and I was most impressed with the performance.
The other problem I think was the dash wide screen. I assume it was designed to attract the younger customers. If so that is the second time Honda have mad that mistake. The first one was the original HR-V advertised as the 'JOY WAGON' pictured with 20 something, smiling girls and boys. 80 % of the HR-Vs sold by my dealer went to much older customers who wanted a taller car to ease arthritic ingress & egress!
BYD have invented the 'BLADE' battery which does away with Li-Ion, charges faster and gives much improved range.
Public charge points are now everywhere.
I looked on the 'find a charger' page on my eNiro screen and there were over 40 within a 4 mile radius on the borders of Somerset & Dorset.
So I must disagree with the comment that the infra structure  is not sufficient.
You won't be seeing me in an I.C.E. anytime soon. EV for me!

I am not at all against ev’s but I do listen to friends in real time who have them. They often arrive, like you have indicated to a charger to find it doesn’t exist, is broken or as on the M6 enormous queues. I don’t think any body can argue the infastricture is sufficient, it plainly isn’t . This is not simply charge points , but to be able to cope with the sheer electric load, which will not be able to be supplied without a massive upgrade.
Our course in time this will come good as technology improves and we will all happily tootle about…. Just not yet .

[Lord Voltermore]

If the next Jazz is EV only I will be looking elsewhere.  Lets hope Honda dont add insult to injury by actually making a hybrid version but not selling it in Europe. 

Full EV's battery technology and the charging infrastructure are nowhere near meeting my current needs (excuse pun)  . Maybe my needs and EV's will align eventually but  I think it will be mostly due to a decline in my  requirements.

[Jazzik]

...and the charging infrastructure are nowhere near meeting my current needs (excuse pun)  .

Nowhere...? Try for example Norway or The Netherlands...

[Kremmen]

Bit difficult driving from the UK to those 2 countries to find an available working charger

[Nicksey]

I am just about to turn 62. Prior to the Jazz I had Renaults, which I changed approx every 3 years. One of the reasons I went for a Honda (and a Jazz), was that I was looking for a 'last' car. One that I would keep for the duration, something I knew had a good reliability record and was from a reputable manufacturer.
Therefore, I won't be looking for an EV.

[Kremmen]

Same here

My Jazz is also my last ever car

I've been a driver through all the motoring golden years from the early 70's but it's all now got silly :

Car prices
Insurance prices
Bad road manners
Traffic congestion