The Urban EV Concept, first shown in 2017, was styled by Yuki Terai (exterior) and Fumihiro Yaguchi (interior) to evoke friendly and comforting feelings in prospective owners.

[10] Its styling is an evolution of the 2017 Urban EV Concept; Honda equipped the 2019 prototype with flush-mounted door handles and compact rear-view cameras on each side to simplify its profile and to improve aerodynamics.

[12] Unlike the layout of the Urban EV Concept, which was a three-door hatchback, the production version is available only as a five-door model.

[14] Honda's stated their goal was to solely offer electrified powertrains in all mainstream European models by 2022.[15][relevant?]

[16][17] Despite its compact size being suitable for certain markets such as Europe, the car was not on par with customers' expectations, with a base starting price of €39,900 ($44,100), limited electric range on WLTP, and impractical interior ergonomics.

[22] The e uses a dedicated rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive electric vehicle platform, to facilitate agility and compact proportions for the urban market.

[11] The water-cooled battery pack is carried within the wheelbase of the car, below the floor to provide a 50/50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity.

[29] A 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack was claimed to offer a range of around 220 km (140 mi) as per Honda internal data.

[31] The dual infotainment displays can independently run separate applications and are swappable; they support both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The "low-ish available range and expected-to-be-lofty price tag" were expected to put the car at a disadvantage compared to entry-level EV rivals such as the Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia e-Niro.

[20] James Attwood, reviewing for Autocar, wrote the e Prototype has "nimble handling that fits its credentials as a versatile urban runaround — while offering the sort of fun driving response that should keep anyone already won over by the car's style happy.