A lot of people want cheerful, dependable EVs from trusted brands like Honda. The company’s first EV, the Prologue, outsold its GM platform mates in 2024 and only got better for 2025. The Japanese automaker has poured millions into its Ohio “EV Hub,” the first products of which will hit the road in 2026. But as Honda visualizes a future of wedge-shaped EVs, it needs to think inside the box.
The answer is the box: Honda needs to bring back the Element as an EV.
The original Element was a utilitarian adventurer’s dream: Tiny on the outside, huge on the inside, with clamshell doors and a split tailgate that opened to reveal a water-resistant interior and stowable, lie-flat seating. It predicted today’s automotive outdoor lifestyle boom in ways few would have imagined. The Element enjoyed niche popularity during its eight-year run and endures as a cult classic, with low-mileage examples selling for upwards of $10,000 to 15,000 in places like Cars & Bids.
Thing is, the Element’s appeal as an adventure machine was matched only by its usefulness as a do-anything runabout. Those doors that are so useful for loading bikes and surfboards? They’re also perfect for shuttling boxes full of servers or Mom’s collection of knicknacks. The lie-flat seats made for camping are also great for catching Zzzs between shifts at Target and Olive Garden. The Element is your friend who’s up for anything, no questions asked, and we all need one of those these days.
The Element would make a great EV, specifically, because a so-called “skateboard” platform would accentuate its strengths without any serious drawbacks. Skateboard-platform EVs notably add height and bulk to the floor of a vehicle, but the Element’s box shape and ample cargo room negate any packaging concerns. A frunk would add even more usable cargo space, especially if it doubled as a cooler. While we’re at it, why not add an off-road package with all-terrain tires, a couple extra inches of suspension travel, plastic cladding, and a solar-panel roof to power accessories? Honda product planners, let me know where to send the invoice.
Honda’s 400-volt 0 Series architecture promises to be a great starting point for something like this. According to Honda, cars on this platform should be good for over 300 miles of range and 20-to-80-percent fast-charges in as little as 15 minutes. The original Element was never about performance, so Honda’s engineers could optimize for efficiency over acceleration. While some might say an EV’s range limitations cramp a lifestyle vehicle’s style, who’s really venturing further than the nearest state or national park? To the two people who just raised their hands, your 4Runner isn’t going anywhere.
Hyundai and Ford are launching rugged lifestyle-focused EVs in the Ioniq 5 XRT and the Mustang Mach-E Rally. Hell, Rivian has practically built an entire brand around the concept. I think Volkswagen is missing a golden opportunity by not offering a factory camper version of the ID.Buzz, but that’s a story for another time. Whenever Subaru decides to make a Forester or Outback Wilderness EV, it’ll almost surely print money. Point is, Honda has the chance to capitalize on a beloved nameplate and launch a genuinely unique, useful EV at the same time.
With its Marysville EV hub, Honda at least in theory has the infrastructure in place to make and sell an Element EV without digging itself too deep in a tariff hole. If it wants to be price-competitive, it’ll have to match or beat the Rivian R2’s target of around $45,000. But if the Prologue has shown us anything, it’s that people value a brand’s good reputation, something Honda has in spades.
A rugged, useful EV with a known name from a trusted brand? Honda, stop playing around and give us what we want.
