My family has ancestral roots in Switzerland. More specifically, my great-great-great grandfather, Christian Hugi (modified spelling) was born on November 19, 1842, in Bern. He and his wife Margaret moved to the United States in 1879 and made their home in Utah. He passed away in 1922 at age 79 in the city of Logan, where I was born about 60 years later.
My dad is not typically one to travel internationally, but he was interested in the idea of visiting our “homeland,” so to speak. A few of us packed our bags and headed to Europe to explore in early September. In addition to seeing all the grandeur of Lake Geneva, the Matterhorn, and Zurich, we feasted our eyes on the diverse—and sometimes downright odd—cars that were seen roaming the streets. Spoiler alert: it was station-wagons galore!
Cute little EV Honda
I convinced my family to make a pit-stop at a Honda dealership in Bern, and the first vehicle that caught my eye there was a Honda “e”. The e was never sold in the United States, but it was offered in Europe until just a year or two ago. Classified as a “supermini,” it had design language that looked a little bit like the first-generation, five-door, Honda Civic hatchback.
Power for the e came from a 35.5-kWh lithium-ion battery paired with an electric motor, with Honda rating it at a 220-kilometer (137-mile) range. The e was rear-wheel drive—something unique for a Honda. Perhaps the e’s most distinctive feature (to me anyway) was its camera-based side mirrors. Instead of traditional mirrors, the car featured screens that were fed information from a small camera mounted on each door. It was an odd setup for sure, but it did provide benefits in improving aerodynamics and minimizing wind noise.
In addition to the e, we saw other unfamiliar Honda models, including the e:Ny1 and the ZR-V. Otherwise, the dealership looked just about like any U.S. dealership, complete with a customer lounge, brochure display, paint color samples, and other promotional swag.
Non-U.S. brands abound
During our several days of driving our rental Audi A6 station wagon, we noticed brands like Cupra (owned by Seat), Opel, Peugeot, Renault, and Skoda. We saw just one Ford truck—a Raptor—an occasional Mustang, and several Jeep Grand Cherokees. But the vast majority of vehicles in Switzerland were European-built and have never left the continent.
It will be interesting to see how the marketplace for cars evolves in the United States in the coming years. For urban city-dwellers who need an easy-to-park compact, something like the Honda e might have done well. Perhaps Honda will rework the formula and send one our way!