Honda EV PlusThe first ever production Honda EV was launched in 1997, the culmination of a development program that had started almost 10 years prior. Like many electric vehicles of its era, the EV Plus was designed to be a "compliance car" to satisfy California's zero-emissions mandate, and as a result, it was only produced in very low numbers — it's thought just 330 were built. Estimated range stood between 60 and 80 miles depending on how carefully you drove the car, and top speed was claimed to be "over" 80 mph.Early adopters of any new technology usually pay a premium for the privilege, and the EV Plus was no different. There was no way to buy the car outright, although its sticker price was officially listed as $53,900. For context, that's around $101,000 adjusting for inflation. Instead, buyers could only lease the car from Honda for $455 a month. After the three-year lease period finished, California's zero-emissions mandate had been slackened, and so Honda decided there was no need to continue developing BEVs. The company pivoted to developing hybrids instead, and every example of the EV Plus was eventually reclaimed by Honda and destroyed.Honda e:NP1In 2022, Honda unveiled a pair of all-electric SUVs for the Chinese market, the first under its new e:N sub-brand. The cheaper of the two was the e:NP1, a sub-$30,000 crossover with 260 miles of range. An extended-range version was also available for a little over $30,000, claiming 316 miles of range. At launch, Honda stated that it was planning to expand the e:N lineup to 10 models by 2027, with two new dedicated production facilities to build the range that will be fully operational by 2024.There has been no news on whether Honda plans to launch the e:NP1 outside of China, or whether it'll focus on pricier, higher-margin models instead. The recent unveiling of the Euro-spec e:NY1 proves Honda intends to launch the e:N sub-brand in a variety of markets, but whether it'll come to the U.S. remains to be seen. However, if it did make it Stateside at a similar price point, the e:NP1 would provide some tough competition to the current EVs on the market.