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: will initially be available only in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru
- Bookings begin on January 1, 2025, and deliveries by February
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 Exchanger 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 7.3 seconds.
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 Ather Rizta. With 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:, which 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 that of the CUV e:. 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 has a key fob, which brings in keyless functionality.
The Activa e: has three riding modes – Eco, Standard and Sport – and a reverse function. The base Activa e: gets a 5-inch TFT display with very limited Bluetooth functionality, while the top RoadSync Duo variant has 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. Both the Activa e: and QC1 will be manufactured at Honda’s Narsapura plant in Karnataka. There are 83 Honda Power Pack e: battery-swapping stations in Bengaluru, and they are being rolled out in Delhi and Mumbai.
Honda plans to have over 250 stations in Bengaluru by 2026, aiming to have stations within every 5km in the city. Customers will have to pay per swap, and Honda will also sell the Activa e: with a Battery-as-a-Service option, for which more details will be revealed soon. Initially, the Active e: will 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.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
