The Honda Super-One EV Simulates Gear Shifts and Engine Noise

Honda is thinking big with a small hatchback that aims to be more than just an electric commuter. First previewed as a concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Super-One has now evolved into a prototype for the Japan Mobility Show. The camouflage is gone, revealing a boxy body with bulging fenders we didn’t expect to see on such a tiny car. While it’s not as cute as the discontinued Honda e, it’s refreshing to see something other than another oversized SUV.

If you know your kei cars, the Super-One should feel instantly familiar. The prototype looks a lot like the second-generation N-One launched five years ago, but with a more aggressive body kit. Despite the clear resemblance, Honda claims the prototype actually rides on a new platform developed for its latest N Series EVs.

That said, it still looks to us like an electric conversion of the 2020 N-One, which itself largely carried over the design of the original 2012 model. In Honda’s defense, there are interior updates to help distinguish the two. For instance, the bulky gear lever has been replaced by a small selector, and the air vents are now square instead of round. Still, the Super-One unmistakably feels like a kei car inside and out.

Honda isn’t ready to discuss the powertrain in detail. Output figures remain unknown, but the company has confirmed a dedicated boost mode developed specifically for the EV to spice things up. And even though there’s no gas engine, you’ll still hear one. Yes, Honda pumps artificial engine noise through the speakers.

Photo by: Honda

That’s not all. The fakery goes beyond the soundtrack, as the Super-One has been engineered with a simulated seven-speed gearbox. Whether EVs need such a thing, especially pint-sized ones like this, is up for debate. As long as these gimmicks can be turned off, though, there’s no real issue. Honda probably thinks the simulated engine noise and gear shifts will appeal to old-school enthusiasts, but we’re not so sure about that.

It remains to be seen whether this diminutive EV will adhere to kei car regulations or grow into a larger vehicle. A size increase seems likely, considering Honda plans to sell it outside Japan. The production model will debut domestically in 2026, followed by launches in the U.K. and select markets across Asia and Oceania.

Depending on the region, it will be sold under different names: Super-N in the U.K. and Super-One in Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries.

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Source: Honda

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