Mazda MX-30 vs Honda e: two premium electric cars for the city

Did you know that, this year, one in every 10 new cars sold in Portugal has been electric? The range is becoming broader and more compelling - unlike the public charging network, which remains slow to meet the market’s needs, but that is another matter.

Returning to the cars themselves, two of 2020’s most interesting offerings come from Japan.

I am referring to the Mazda MX-30 and the Honda e. These are two electric cars conceived for urban use, with design, build quality and their “zero emissions” among their chief selling points.

We brought these two models together for three reasons: both occupy a premium position; both have their sights set on the city; and both cost more than €35,000. Their focus on design and styling is also clear: the Honda recalls another era, while the Mazda is overtly unconventional. In spite of these similarities, Honda and Mazda could hardly have taken more different approaches.

Designed for the city - and beyond

I spent two fully electric weeks behind the wheel - at Razão Automóvel, our diet is increasingly varied and we are cutting back on CO₂. Yet, with two models whose range is only a little above 200 km on a single charge, I expected a difficult time. It was not.

To give you an idea, my daily journeys run between Lisbon and the south bank of the Tagus, in Costa da Caparica. Even allowing for trips to appointments away from the office, that amounts to no more than 50 km a day in the worst-case scenario.

I admit that 200 km of range is not an ideal proposition, but it proved adequate. I became accustomed to checking the remaining range with a degree of calm. That peace of mind is only possible if you have a charger at home or at work. If you do not have a charging point in either location, there is little point in reading any further. Electric mobility is not yet for you.

As you will know, both use a very similar battery pack: lithium-ion batteries with a 35.5 kWh capacity. Their quoted combined-cycle consumption figures are 18 kWh/100 km for the Honda e and 19 kWh/100 km for the Mazda MX-30, under the WLTP cycle. During my time with these two electric cars, spent mainly in town or in traffic, I achieved 15.4 kWh/100 km in the Honda and 17.9 kWh/100 km in the Mazda.

With the Honda e, I even managed to extend a single charge beyond 220 km. With electric cars, the more urban driving they do, the lower their consumption becomes - unlike cars powered by combustion engines, or thermal engines if you prefer. Because of its larger dimensions, I was unable to reach 200 km of range in the Mazda MX-30.

To put it simply, either car would let me complete a working week with just two charges. That is not something I would recommend, however, because life is full of unexpected events and “a good electric car is a charged electric car”.

Same batteries, different characters

Although these two electric cars were designed for urban driving, their approaches are distinct. The Honda e is more at home in the city centre, whereas the Mazda MX-30 prefers the outskirts. One look at them is enough to understand why.

The Honda e is smaller, more agile and easier to manoeuvre in confined spaces. With its greater size and stability, the Mazda MX-30 encourages you to tackle roads such as the IC19 or A33.

The Honda e may be the more rounded car in this respect, as it performs well both in town and beyond it. However, the Mazda MX-30 swings the balance back when space is the priority. The Mazda offers more interior room, while their boot capacities are not even comparable: 366 litres versus 171 litres.

Mazda MX-30 and Honda e: ample power in both

They are electric cars, and neither lacks urgency when the idea is to turn traffic lights into a kind of “mini Portuguese GP”. The Mazda MX-30 completes 0-100 km/h in 9.7s, while the Honda e takes 8.3s for the same sprint.

These differences are explained by the Honda e’s lower weight and greater output: it has 155 hp and 355 Nm of torque to move 1527 kg, compared with the MX-30’s 145 hp and 271 Nm of torque hauling 1720 kg. Their electronically limited top speeds are almost identical: 140 km/h for the MX-30 and 145 km/h for the Honda e. Put the figures aside and the impression is that both always have sufficient power available.

Why choose either of these electric cars?

By now, you will probably have asked yourselves several times: “why should I buy a €35,000 electric car with only 200 km of range when cheaper alternatives offer more range?”.

The answer is simpler than it may appear. These are not the electric cars that will democratise access to electric mobility. Both the Mazda and the Honda are niche products, intended for users who place build quality, attention to detail and exclusivity above range - or for those for whom range is not an issue.

Simply step inside either one and it becomes clear. Both the Mazda MX-30 and the Honda e sit a long way from the Renault Zoe in terms of positioning.

Then there is the design factor, which is particularly strong in the Honda e. Everyone looks as we pass by. Every month I drive cars that can sometimes cost more than €200,000, yet none attracts as many glances as the little Honda e.

The Mazda MX-30, on the other hand, plays the opposite game despite its rear-hinged rear doors. It does not want to look electric. The entire front end, through its shapes, makes you believe a combustion engine could sit underneath it - its platform is shared with the Mazda3 and CX-30 - and, in fact, the MX-30 will receive a Wankel engine in 2022 as a battery range extender.

Indeed, even its driving experience does not resemble that of an electric car. Its control responses and overall feel are closer to the world of combustion-engined cars.

Businesses and promotional offers deserve attention

Mazda quotes a retail price of €34,540 for the Mazda MX-30 First Edition and €35,250 for the Excellence version without options. The example we tested was slightly more expensive (see technical specification).

However, a €3,000 promotion brings the Mazda MX-30 down to a competitive €29,790. For companies, that figure could fall below €23,000 once all tax incentives available to businesses and sole traders are included. Those incentives also apply to the Honda e and every 100% electric vehicle.

With that said, electric cars are becoming increasingly attractive for businesses. For private buyers, though… as former Prime Minister António Guterres once said: “it is a matter of doing the sums”.