Honda’s first electric vehicle (EV) for Australia is already sold out for up to a year, depending on which colour you want.
Speaking with CarExpert at the local media launch of the Super-One in Melbourne, general manager for Honda’s Automotive division in Australia, Nick Parkington, said unprecedented demand in the Japanese domestic market has restricted supply to Australia.
“If you walked into a showroom today, if [you want] a two-tone, it’s down the back half of [next] year. If it’s a monotone, it’s still in the first half of [next] year,” Mr Parkington said.
“[It’s] a combination of some of those leads times, plus the demand that’s in Japan.”
Mr Parkington said the Super-One has “proven to be extraordinarily popular” in Honda’s home market of Japan, with domestic demand “about 10 times” more than Honda’s initial forecasting.
“Against the home market we’re battling for our little chunk of cars,” Mr Parkington added.
Honda’s local team confirmed expressions of interest (EOI) for the Super-One totalled “around 7000” in Australia prior to the vehicle launching, which is more than the Prelude and Civic Type R before it, and the brand’s highest response rate.
The first batch of vehicles, totalling around 130 vehicles, sold out within a matter of hours when order books opened in early August.
Further supply is landing early next year, with Mr Parkington indicating Honda Australia expects to deliver around 500 Super-Ones in the first 12 months on sale.
So, for the time being, the Honda Super-One looks to be a relatively low-volume model given rivals like the (much cheaper) BYD Atto 1 managed 300 deliveries last month alone.
As noted earlier, the Honda Super-One is the Japanese brand’s first all-electric vehicle for Australia, despite previously offering the Honda e EV hatchback abroad from 2020-2024.
Hybrids are still the core focus for Honda Australia, with the brand’s executives confirming that more than 90 per cent of its local sales are now hybrid models – though the Super-One remains a “key part” of the brand’s electrification strategy Down Under.
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