Honda e EV Charging Cable

A charging port in the middle of the bonnet

The charge socket is at the front of the car rather than on a flank, which changes the length calculation entirely: you measure from the nose to the charge point, and whether you park nose in or reverse becomes the whole question rather than a detail.

The Honda e goes further than most: the inlet is not merely at the front, it is on the centreline, set into the bonnet under a glass cover that lights up while charging. Honda's own reasoning is that it can then be reached from the front of the car or from either side, and it can be opened with the key fob or the app. There is no nearside or offside on this car at all.

For cable length that is genuinely simplifying. You measure from the wall box to the front of the car and stop. On a 3.89 metre city car parked nose in, five metres is usually generous.

It takes everything a home charger offers

Unusually, there is no phase penalty to explain. The onboard charger is a 6.6 kW single phase unit drawing about 29 amps, which a British house delivers without difficulty. The limit is the car, and you reach it at home just as you would anywhere.

Honda quotes 4.1 hours to a full charge from a 7.4 kW single phase supply, which on a 28.5 kWh usable pack works out at about 6.6 kW sustained and confirms the rating. From a 2.3 kW three pin socket it is 18.8 hours, which is an overnight and a morning rather than a routine.

The reverse case is worth knowing: because the charger is single phase, a three phase 16 amp public post gives the Honda e only 3.7 kW. At home it is as quick as its battery allows; at a workplace on three phase power it is slower than the cars beside it. Paying for more amps buys nothing here, since the car will not draw them.

Range, and what Honda does and does not publish

The pack is 35.5 kWh gross, quoted at 137 miles WLTP on 16 inch wheels and 125 miles for the Advance on 17s. The usable figure of about 28.5 kWh comes from an independent database rather than from Honda, which publishes only the gross number, so treat it as a third party determination.

DC charging is the one place Honda's own data looks odd. It quotes eighty per cent in 30 minutes from a 100 kW charger and 31 minutes from a 50 kW one. A single minute of difference between a 50 and a 100 kW charger tells you the car's own ceiling is well under 50 kW, which is why we quote the thirty minute time rather than a peak figure that nobody publishes consistently.

How long a full charge takes

The calculation is the battery over the delivered kW, uplifted 13 per cent for charging losses, quarter hour rounded. Miles per hour is worked at 3.5 miles per kWh, a figure that survives a cold morning. Working from 28.5 kWh usable rather than the 35.5 kWh gross figure, which is why the top row lands close to Honda's own 4.1 hours.

Five hours from empty makes the Honda e about as easy to charge as an electric car gets. The battery was never the point of this car; the way it drives in a city was, and a five hour overnight fill suits that use exactly.

Which length for a Honda e

Measure from the charge point to the front of the bonnet with the car parked as it usually sits. The bonnet socket means you never have to think about which side anything is on.

Five metres suits a dedicated bay where the car faces the wall box. Ten metres covers reversed parking, a shared drive, or a charge point some way from the space. The measurement that counts is the one taken with the car in its usual spot, plus a margin for the slack the lead needs.

How these cables are built

Standards are IEC 62196-2 and CE, protection is IP55, and the specified working range runs -30C to +50C.

Three pin leads are made to IEC 62752, CE marked and IP67 sealed, with a -30C to +60C specification. Two year manufacturer's warranty. Delivery is free and next working day, and returns are open for 30 days.

Looking at another Honda? Start with the Honda CR-V e:PHEV EV Charging Cable, or browse every model in Honda charging cables. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

Honda e charging cable questions

Where is the charge port on a Honda e?

In the centre of the bonnet, under a glass cover, so it can be reached from the front or either side of the car. Measure your cable from the nose.

How fast does a Honda e charge at home?

6.6 kW, which is its full rate because the charger is single phase. Honda quotes 4.1 hours to full from a 7.4 kW supply.

Do I need a 32A cable?

Yes, to get the full 6.6 kW. A 16A cable carries 3.6 kW and takes roughly twice as long.

Is the Honda e:Ny1 the same?

No, and it is worth not confusing them. The e:Ny1 has a three phase 11 kW charger, so a British house gives it 7.4 kW rather than its headline figure, and its socket sits centrally in the front grille rather than on the bonnet.

How far does a Honda e go?

137 miles WLTP on 16 inch wheels, or 125 miles for the Advance on 17 inch wheels.