Abarth 500e vs Honda e

The Honda e costs £2,720 more than the Abarth 500e. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Abarth 500e is not just cheaper - it also offers 26 miles more WLTP range, 29 kW faster peak rapid charging and a 2.0s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Honda e comes out ahead overall.

The Abarth 500e is £2,720 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £176 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Abarth 500e comes out roughly £2,720 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 137 miles for the Abarth 500e and 115 miles for the Honda e - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Abarth 500e goes roughly 22 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 31-35 minutes.

The Abarth 500e is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 69 mm narrower than the Honda e. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 717 mm of total clearance for the Abarth 500e and about 648 mm of total clearance for the Honda e. The Honda e also turns in a 0.8 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.