The compact Fit EV shares its essential design and engineering features with the gasoline-powered five-door, five-passenger Fit and Fit Sport, and has aerodynamic upgrades and unique styling cues that set it apart. The five-door unit-body utilizes 56-percent high-strength steel that maximizes stiffness without adding unnecessary weight. This structural strength allows more precise suspension tuning, which results in responsive handling, excellent ride quality, a quiet cabin environment, and superb overall durability.
Also, like the gasoline-powered Fit models, the Fit EV exterior is fresh, invigorating, functional and fun, with a super-forward aero-form design and forward-mounted A-pillars that improve the field of vision and make the cabin feel more spacious. The tapered body is aerodynamically efficient but also identifiable as a Fit at a glance.
The Fit EV’s 162.0-inch overall length belies an extraordinary amount of interior space, and the 98.4-inch wheelbase pushes the wheels toward the edges of the body envelope, resulting in a remarkable blend of ride quality and handling agility. The 58.5-in. front/57.6-in. rear track adds both cornering stability and interior roominess that all five passengers can appreciate.
Aerodynamic innovations include a revised and more efficient front end, grille area and lower fascia. The aerodynamically shaped rocker panels connect to the full-flat underbody for further enhanced aerodynamic performance. The rear spoiler and lower fascia have been redesigned to further reduce aerodynamic drag. Other unique Fit EV features include special 15-inch alloy wheels, EV badges and exclusive Reflective Blue Pearl paint.
Standard Fit EV body features
- Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure
- Unique front fascia
- Multi-reflector halogen headlights
- Body-colored folding side mirrors
- Unique 15-inch alloy wheels
- Wide-opening rear doors
- 12.0 cu ft. of cargo volume
- Fit EV emblems and motif
- Shark fin-type roof-mounted antenna
- Unique rear spoiler
- Aerodynamically-shaped rear bumper
- Exclusive Reflective Blue Pearl exterior color
- Roomy and flexible storage
- Lockable charging port lid
- Lit charging port (LED)
Aerodynamic Design
Like the gasoline-powered Fit, the Fit EV body design features several innovations that define it as an active, smart and aerodynamically sleek form. Most notable is its super-forward aero-form design that positions the front pillars as far forward as possible for an improved field of vision. A large windshield and front quarter windows – framed by narrow cross-section pillars – enhance visibility while making the cabin feel even more spacious. Large, sharply styled headlights help lend the Fit EV a substantial presence.
Tapered upper body areas have sleek, fluid contours, while the lower body sides feature dynamic surface changes that add a bold, spirited look to the vehicle. This energy is continued and complimented by heavily flared rear fenders that add robustness to the overall design.
Unique Styling Elements
While the new Fit EV and gasoline-powered Fit and Fit Sport share their essential body designs, the Fit EV possesses several key enhancements that improve its aerodynamic performance and give it a unique look. The changes begin with a revised front-end treatment. Here, the grille and Honda badge on the Fit and Fit Sport is replaced with an aerodynamic solid finisher that blends into the hood. The front bumper is also revised, adding a horizontal chrome bar that joins the headlights and sweeps below the Honda emblem.
The lower fascia is likewise redesigned, and now utilizes aggressive contours that help deflect air around the front tires. Underneath the fascia is a wide aerodynamic strake that helps divert air from flowing underneath the body, while a small inlet supplies air to a radiator that cools the electric motor and electronic controller. The aerodynamically shaped rocker panels connect to the full-flat underbody to further enhance aerodynamic performance.
Body Structure
Like the Fit and Fit Sport, the new Fit EV utilizes a rigid yet lightweight unit-body design that contributes directly to its responsive and precise handling, a smooth and comfortable ride, reduced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), and high overall durability. Some of the Fit EV’s structural advancements include:
- Load-dispersing frame design
- Fully enclosed box-type cross-section front bulkhead
- Large cross-section rear frame rails and one-piece side-sill extensions
- High-strength rear tailgate opening
- Front and center structural stiffeners
- Highly efficient joint construction
High-Strength Steel
Fifty-six percent of the Fit EV body is strong, lightweight, high-strength steel.
Along with structural innovations such as the use of polygonal cross-section frame members and strategically located weld beads, this helps increase body rigidity without adding weight. This stiffness pays numerous dividends including more precise suspension response, sharper handling, improved ride quality, heightened interior quietness and greater overall durability.
Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) Body Structure
The Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure utilizes a network of connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle. This helps to reduce the forces transferred to the passenger compartment and can also help to more evenly disperse the forces transferred to other vehicles in a crash. (See Safety section for more information.)
Multi-Reflector Halogen Headlights
Large multi-reflector halogen headlights provide bright nighttime illumination. They also include Daytime Running Lights (DRL) for improved daylight driving safety. The headlight lenses are aerodynamically designed for reduced aero drag, improving the vehicle’s energy efficiency.
Unique 15-inch Alloy Wheels
The 6×15-inch alloy wheels have a unique five-spoke design that contrasts with the five-spoke alloy wheels on the gasoline-powered Fit and Fit Sport models. (See Chassis section for more information.)
Body-Colored Folding Side Mirrors
Large side mirrors provide a broad field of vision while featuring a graceful design that minimizes aerodynamic drag. The body-colored mirrors are electrically adjustable, and may be manually folded to reduce vulnerability in tight parking situations.
EV Emblems
Five unique exterior markings help to identify the Fit EV as an electric vehicle. Two “EV” emblems are located below the A-pillar on the front fenders, two “Fit EV” stickers are located on the lower edge of the rear doors, and a fifth “EV” emblem is located on the lower right side of the rear fascia.
Wide-Opening Rear Doors
Fit EV’s rear doors can be opened as wide as 80 degrees, helping to facilitate ingress and egress of passengers and cargo. The hinge mechanisms also feature two intermediate stop positions, simplifying positioning of the doors when parked near another vehicle or obstacle.
Shark Fin-Type Roof-Mounted Antenna
The roof-mounted mast antenna on the Fit and Fit Sport is replaced with a fin-type antenna on the Fit EV. The fin includes antenna to provides signal for the AM/FM radio, the GPS system (for standard Navigation system), and for the standard telematics system.
Rear Spoiler
Like the Fit Sport, the Fit EV has a rear spoiler that enhances air separation at the trailing edge of the roof for reduced aerodynamic drag, directly contributing to higher energy efficiency. In addition, the sides of the Fit EV rear spoiler extend downward alongside the rear glass, to further enhance air separation from the body sides. The result is some of the finest aerodynamic detailing to grace a compact car.
Body-Colored Rear Tailgate Garnish
Stretching the width of the tailgate, the body-colored rear tailgate garnish distinguishes the Fit EV from the Fit and Fit Sport, which use a satin black finish in the same location.
Aerodynamically-Shaped Rear Bumper
Extending behind the full-flat underbody, the aerodynamically-shaped rear bumper helps optimize air extraction for increased overall aerodynamic performance. On its sides, the bumper’s sharper corner angles help to smoothly separate air off the sides of the vehicle.
Exclusive Exterior Color
Reflective Blue Pearl is the exclusive exterior color for the 2013 Fit EV. It is also exclusive in the Honda lineup, identifying the Fit EV as completely unique in the automotive landscape. The exterior color marries beautifully with the standard gray interior and Bio-fabric seating surfaces. (See Interior section for more information.)
Roomy and Flexible Storage
The Fit EV’s 60/40 split-folding rear seat provides versatile interior storage. When kept in the upright position, the Fit EV has a five-passenger seating capacity and 12.0 cu ft. of storage volume behind the rear seat. The wide-opening tailgate has a low 25.4-inch sill height that makes loading easy. (See Interior section for more information.)
Folding either rear seatback forward expands the storage capacity while still allowing three- or four-passenger capacity. Folding both rear seatbacks forward expands the total storage capacity to 49.4 cu ft. Further folding the front passenger seatback all the way rearward provides a maximum of 7 ft. 9 in. of storage length.
Charging Port
The standardized SAE J1772 charging port is located under a lid on the left-front fender. The charging port lid can be opened using the dashboard switch near the driver-side door. Next to the port is a green LED indicator that shows when the Fit EV is charging. There is also an LED light which conveniently helps illuminate the charging port. (See Powertrain section for more information on charging).