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Honda E electric hatch arrives in Australia through independent importer

Honda's fan-favourite electric city car has arrived in Australia via an independent importer, with an eye-watering price.


The first Honda E electric car has arrived in Australia – but don't expect to see it in Honda showrooms any time soon.

Imported by independent firm OZM Auto Group – which specialises in importing Japanese-market sports cars and people movers – the top-of-the-range, grey car pictured is the first example of Honda's pint-sized electric E hatch to reach Australia, through the limited-time Special Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS).

While only one Honda E is in the country for now, the Sydney-based importer claims "a few" more are on the way, with interested customers able to get in contact and place an order of their own – as long as supply allows, given high demand for the E in its home market.

Local buyers interested in the city-sized electric car will need deep pockets, however, with prices said to fall between $80,000 and $85,000, a representative for the importer told Drive.

That figure comprises everything from the cost of the vehicle itself – which, in range-topping guise, is priced from 4,950,000 yen (AU$58,000) in Japan – to local import and certification charges for use on Australian roads.

Private importation through the SEVS scheme will remain the only way to acquire a Honda E in Australia for the foreseeable future, as despite interest in importing the vehicle from Honda's local arm, a range of factors work against a potential Australian introduction.

A Honda Australia spokesperson told Drive: "We know there are a number of appealing and exciting Honda products on offer in overseas markets, such as the Honda E, but right now they are either not available to us, don’t currently meet our regulatory requirements or simply do not make business sense for our local market."

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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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