Honda bringing a new electric vehicle to the New York International Auto Show after canceling three US-bound EVs—not counting the Afeela 1 sedan and Afeela crossover from the Sony Honda Mobility joint venture—is certainly unexpected.Mind you, it’s not exactly what most people picture in their minds when hearing the words ‘electric vehicle,’ even though technically it is exactly that.The Honda EV You Did Not—And Might Not—See ComingWe’re talking about the Fastport eQuad, a small all-electric delivery vehicle engineered specifically for bike lane use. Combining a pedal-by-wire assist system with regenerative braking (also activated via pedaling in reverse) and swappable Honda Mobile Power Pack (MPP) lithium-ion batteries—as seen on Honda e: Series electric scooters—the eQuad provides on-site or depot charging flexibility.Officially classified as a Class 1 Pedal Assist Device, the vehicle looks pretty basic inside and out, featuring an enclosed rider cabin and a cargo box that comes in two modular configurations. The cabin gets a full windshield with windshield wipers, waterproof tinted canopy, 7-inch monitor screen for live rear view camera feed and a 3.5-inch display for vehicle data and controls. The rider also benefits from heated handlebar grips, a fan for cooling, built-in 12V adapter for mobile device charging, a beverage holder, and lockable storage and space for hand cart in the cabin.How Much Can It Haul? The containers are customizable to accommodate varied last-mile applications, with Fastport’s website showing a shorter and narrower box for the small model and a longer, wider box for the larger one. The small version offers a cargo capacity of 320 pounds and a cargo volume of 98.5 cubic feet, while the projected range at full load is 23 miles from a 1.3 kWh MPP battery. The large version is rated at 650 lbs and 115.8 cu-ft, respectively, with a slightly smaller range of 20 miles. The small version is 134 inches long and 39.4 in wide, while the larger version is 148 in long and 47.9 in wide; both variants share the same 99-in wheelbase and 82-in height. Given the unusual ratio between the vehicle's height and width, it looks pretty easy to tip over; still, with the eQuad having a top speed of 12 mph, that's not a really a concern.More Sophisticated Than It Looks The automaker says the eQuad also features advanced software-defined vehicle technology, including Fastport Cloud, which provides fleet management stats, service, and parts ordering, as well over-the-air (OTA) updates and integrated telematics. In addition, the API-ready platform is designed to seamlessly connect with various fleet management solutions.The vehicle does not carry Honda’s badge as it is built by Fastport, a new Honda B2B business dedicated to transforming last-mile delivery logistics with micromobility solutions. Fastport will also showcase its Fleet-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform at the New York Auto Show.Fastport claims its products will enable commercial customers to replace traditional delivery vans one-for-one, helping move packages through busy urban areas with less environmental impact while improving operational efficiency. Time will tell if that is going to be the case, but the project does seem to have a lot of potential.
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