Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) has finally debuted in the ever-growing electric scooter market with one of its most successful models – the Honda Activa, since its launch in the late 2000s, Activa became an instant hit with Indian consumers due to its practicality and ease of operating on the ever-growing population on the roads. Since then, Activa’s sales have kept growing exponentially, achieving nearly 2.5 million sales annually, making it the most successful and popular product in Honda’s lineup.
Albeit just an everyday scooter with a small 110cc motor, the cultural impact and shift Honda Activa brought forth was quite unprecedented and cannot be ignored. Honda Activa completely changed the way Indians traversed in their day-to-day lives – and not to mention the shear impact Honda made on its competitors and forced them to restructure their portfolio and some were thrust into near bankruptcy – because traditional motorcycles and mopeds were no longer what attracted customers to the showrooms.
In essence – The Honda Activa wasn’t groundbreaking both tech-wise or mechanically – but it was the way it was marketed to image-conscious Indians – with its unisex design and convincing the youth that the activa was the new hip in town. Traditionally, gearless scooters and mopeds were both designed and marketed to the more feminine sector of the market, a decision that alienated most of the male customers. Honda Activa broke those barriers with its relatively muscular looks that attracted young customers and the practicality and frugal fuel economy attracted more rational customers, which helped Activa gain a wider customer base across the nation, allowing Honda to cater to multiple demands with one product.
The EV market in India is steadily growing – with the E-Scooter leading the charge, numerous start-ups have made a name for themselves in the new market and not many legacy motorcycle manufacturers are part of it – some brands like TVS, Hero Motocorp and Bajaj are in the mix but not making the headwinds expected. Honda had been relatively quiet in this sector for a long time, but that’s about to change on their way to achieving carbon neutrality by the year 2050 – Honda has unveiled their plans to globally launch 30 new electric models and so far they’ve launched 11 models across the globe and the new Activa e being the 12th in their 30 model plan.
As for the potential consequences that’ll come forth with the arrival of an electric scooter that carries two of the well-known and respected badges in the Indian market (Activa & Honda) is quite exciting. The launch of Activa e: has the potential to transform the EV market especially the two-wheeler market to likely new zeniths. Or just like any other legacy automakers (Both two-wheels and Four) will fall short compared to the new guys who have already established themselves in the industry.
So, More on the product itself: Honda Activa e
The Honda Activa e: is Honda’s first e-scooter based on the same platform as the ICE Activa but improved and revised to incorporate modern EV tech. The Activa e: gets an in-house designed wheel side magnetic synchronous electric motor that delivers a maximum output of 6.0 kW of power and 22 Nm of torque. Honda claims the Activa e: can achieve 0 to 60 km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds and can go up to 80 km/h at top speed. The Activa e: allows the rider to choose from three diverse riding modes, i.e. Econ (that’s barred at 4.2 kW of power output to improve the range), Standard & Sport mode to unleash the maximum output of 6.0 kW from the motor.
The e-scooter comes equipped with two swappable 1.5 kW batteries that provide a range of 102 km, along with it Honda is offering a battery-sharing service called – Honda Mobile Power Pack e: in immediate effect, it shall be operatable in three selected cities namely Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, with plans to expand in the near future. Similarly Honda Activa e: will only be sold in a select few cities apart from the aforementioned three.
In terms of features, Honda has equipped the Activa e: with a 7-inch TFT display, that offers necessary information regarding the battery, a speedometer, range, and a smart connectivity feature dubbed Honda RoadSync that gives access to navigation and more.
The Honda Activa e: comes in two different variants – the Activa e: and the Activa e: Honda RoadSync Duo, customers can choose either of these variants in five diverse shades, namely, Pearl Shallow Blue, Pearl Misty White, Pearl Serenity Blue, Matt Foggy Silver Metallic and Pearl Igneous Black.
The QC1
Alongside the Active e: Honda has also launched a more affordable and practical QC1, which comes equipped with a fixed 1.5 kW battery that provides a range of 80km on a single charge and an in-wheel motor that churns out a peak output of 1.8 kW AND maximum torque of 77 Nm propelling it to the top speed of 50 kmh.
Stylistically it is similar to the Activa e: but misses out on the LED DRLs on the handlebar and a few bits and pieces that make it distinguishable from the Activa e:. Although it misses out on the 7.0-inch TFT display, the QC1 still gets a 5.0-inch LCD that perhaps is not as futuristic as the 7.0-inch display on the Activa e: but does its job by providing the necessary information to the riders and three riding mode: standard and ECON. The Honda QC1 scores more on the practicality side, with relatively bigger under-seat storage due to the fixed battery and a USB charging port.
Prices are still under the wrap but both these scooters will be available for booking from January next year and deliveries shall commence by mid-February – through Honda’s existing “Red Wing” dealerships across the country.
