After an exceedingly long wait, Honda has taken the wraps off two new electric scooters - the Activa e: and the QC1. The focus of this story will be the Activa e: which is the more premium EV from Honda and is powered by swappable batteries.
- Available in two variants, with different displays and features
- Activa e: initially will be available only in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru
- Bookings begin on January 1, 2025, deliveries by Feb
Honda Activa electric range, charging, booking details
Powering the Honda Activa e: is a pair of 1.5kWh batteries, which can be swapped out at Honda’s Power Pack e: battery swapping stations. The claimed IDC range on a single charge is 102km. These batteries send power to a swingarm-mounted motor that makes 6kW and 22Nm of torque, and the Activa e: has a claimed top speed of 80kph. Honda also claims that the electric Activa can manage the 0-60kph sprint in 7.3s
Underpinnings are fairly basic with an underbone frame suspended by a telescopic fork and monoshock setup. The Activa e: is available in two variants - standard and Honda RoadSync Duo - where the former weighs 118kg and the latter 119kg. This puts the Honda Activa electric’s weight right on par with the TVS iQube and the Ather Rizta. With a 171mm available, the Honda Activa e: also has enough ground clearance for Indian road conditions. A 160mm front disc brake and a 130mm rear drum brake handle braking duties on the Activa e: and it rolls on 12-inch wheels at both ends.
The Honda Activa e: shares a lot of components with the European CUV e: but its design is quite different from it. While the design of the two Hondas is quite different, the Activa e: appears to be a premium product with crisp, clean lines, all-LED lighting and flush-fitting pillion footpegs.
With the two battery packs located under the seat, the storage capacity on the Activa e: is very limited, although it does have two small cubbies on the front apron, one of which even has a USB charger. Just like on the top variant of the petrol Activa, the Activa electric also has a key fob, which brings in keyless functionality.
Three riding modes are available on the Activa e: - Eco, Standard and Sport - and it also has a reverse function. The base Activa e: gets a 5-inch TFT display with very limited Bluetooth functionality while the top RoadSync Duo variant gets a 7-inch dash with turn-by-turn navigation and notification alerts. This is yet another similarity between the Activa e: and the CUV e:. Both variants of the Activa e: are available in five colours - two blue options (one is lighter than the other), white, grey and black.
The Honda Activa e: will be sold through existing Red Wing dealers with a ‘shop in shop’ concept as part of a phased rollout with Concept Stores opening in some cities soon. The Activa e: and the QC1 both will be manufactured at Honda’s Narsapura plant in Karnataka. 83 Honda Power Pack e: battery-swapping stations are already installed in Bengaluru and roll outs of the same are already progressing in Delhi and Mumbai.
Honda targets to have more than 250 stations by 2026 in Bengaluru with an aim to have stations within every five km inside the city. Customers will have to pay per swap and Honda will also sell you the Activa e: with a Battery as a Service option for which more details will be revealed soon. The Active e: will initially only be available in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Pre-bookings for the Activa e: will open on January 1, 2025 with deliveries slated to begin by February of next year.