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Mugen Turns Honda’s Tiny EV Into A Pocket-Sized Street Fighter

  • Mugen gives the Honda N-One e an aggressive bodykit and other accessories.
  • Aero parts are complemented by performance dampers and new alloy wheels.
  • All of the Mugen accessories will be available in Japan starting this autumn.

A new spark is coming to city streets, and it’s wearing a feisty grin. The Honda N-One e:, a fully electric kei car set to launch in Japan and Europe, already has a distinctive, slightly mischievous look. Now Mugen has stepped in with a fresh body kit and a collection of accessories to give it even more personality.

The exterior upgrades include a front splitter, side skirts, and a compact rear diffuser, all finished in matte black. A matching spoiler and 15-inch alloy wheels complete the package, giving the petite EV the stance of a scaled-down hot hatch.

More: Mugen Unleashes Aero Fury On Honda Freed Minivan

Mugen hasn’t stopped at just aerodynamics. Special decals featuring the Mugen name can be applied to the front bumper, grille, side panels, and rear bumper. An additional badge on the front fenders makes sure the car’s tuning pedigree is unmistakable.

Inside, the Mugen touch continues with branded scuff plates and door cubbies. The accessory list extends to tailored floor mats and a matching cover for the boot floor. Practical touches include window visors and hydrophilic mirror coatings designed to improve wet-weather visibility.

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Subtle Performance Tweaks

Mugen’s version of the Honda N-One e: retains the stock electric motor, delivering 63 hp (64 PS / 47 kW) in line with kei car regulations. Performance dampers, paired with the larger alloy wheels, promise more responsive handling.

The only limitation for spirited drives on Japan’s winding roads is the range, estimated at over 245 km (145 miles) between charges.

More: Honda Prelude’s Prices Might Shock Even GR Supra Owners In Japan

The new accessories for the Honda N-One e: will be available in Japan starting autumn 2025, with pricing set to be announced closer to their market launch.

The EV is expected to make its European debut at the IAA Show in Munich this September. It will be interesting to see whether the Mugen parts will also be made available in the Old Continent.

 Mugen Turns Honda’s Tiny EV Into A Pocket-Sized Street Fighter
Honda N-One e:

Affordable Car Crisis Has EU’s Auto Giants Calling For A Radical New Category

  • Affordable small car sales in Europe have collapsed from 1 million to 100,000 units.
  • Stellantis and Renault want Europe to create a category like Japan’s Kei car segment.
  • John Elkann says over 25 percent of engineers focus only on regulatory compliance.

Affordable city cars are vanishing across Europe, and not in a cool, mysterious way. Their disappearance is being driven by a mess of regulations and a market increasingly tilted toward heavier, pricier vehicles.

Now, the heads of Stellantis and Renault are calling on European regulators to rethink the rules in order to make building small cars viable again. Their proposed fix? Borrow a page from Japan’s playbook and support the development of compact EVs, or as they’ve been dubbed, E-Cars.

Read: Stellantis CEO To Earn More In His First Year Than Most Will In A Lifetime Yet Still Trails Rivals

The decline has been dramatic. Stellantis chairman John Elkann says Europe once saw around 1 million new cars priced under €15,000 (roughly $17,400) sold each year. That number has collapsed to just 100,000. For automakers, the financial incentive to produce such vehicles is fading fast, largely due to European Union regulations that make designing and manufacturing them less and less attractive.

“We are going to face more than 120 new regulations by 2030,” Elkann said. “If you look at our engineers, more than 25 percent just work on compliance, so no value is added. There’s no reason why if Japan has a kei car, which is 40 percent of the market, Europe should not have an E-Car.”

New Regulations Are Needed

Before his unexpected resignation earlier today, Renault CEO Luca de Meo echoed Elkann’s concerns in an interview with Autonews. He called on countries like France, Spain, and Italy to take the lead in reviving the dwindling small-car segment. In his words, “driving around every day in an electric vehicle weighing 2.5 tons is clearly an environmental nonsense,” and he pushed for “the mass development of small cars for urban travel and last-mile deliveries.”

 Affordable Car Crisis Has EU’s Auto Giants Calling For A Radical New Category

“What we are asking for is a differentiated regulation for smaller cars,” de Meo added. “There are too many rules designed for bigger and more expensive cars, which means we can’t make smaller cars in acceptable profitability conditions.”

Also: One Of Europe’s Top Auto Bosses Suddenly Quit Just As Things Start Looking Up

Stellantis, to its credit, still offers a few tiny transport options, including the Citroen Ami, Opel Rocks-e, and Fiat Topolino. All three fall under the EU’s quadricycle category, a niche regulatory loophole that allows ultra-light, low-speed vehicles to exist, barely. But to spark a broader return of small, cheap cars, European lawmakers may need to revisit those definitions entirely, either by tweaking quadricycle regulations or creating a fresh classification for compact EVs.

Researchers from the Gerpisa automotive research center are urging regulators to permit car companies to sell Kei car-like vehicles locally, believing this will help local brands compete with Chinese competition.

 Affordable Car Crisis Has EU’s Auto Giants Calling For A Radical New Category
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