Honda e-scooter patents show fixed battery, hub motor

    Patent drawings could offer an early glimpse of Honda’s EV plans for India, ahead of an official announcement next week.

    Published On Mar 20, 2023 12:12:00 PM

    21,365 Views

    Listen to this Article

    At the recent launch of the Shine 100, Honda revealed that it will be announcing its electric two-wheeler plans for India on March 29. Now, recently filed patents by the Japanese giant could give us an idea of what the future holds.

    Honda has filed a large number of patents pertaining to EV technology in India, covering things like motors, battery packs, chargers, controllers and more. Among these filings are drawings showing the layout for what could be one of Honda’s upcoming electric scooters. And as far as the all important electric powertrain is concerned, we see that the scooter will get a fixed battery pack housed under the floorboard, and a hub motor at the rear wheel.

    The latter detail isn’t entirely new as we came across another Honda patent a few months ago showing an Activa-based e-scooter powered by a hub motor. However, the floorboard on that design does not look substantial enough to house a battery pack. So it’s quite likely that Honda is working on both fixed and removable battery pack designs.

    Speaking to top Honda executives recently, we learned that the company’s long-term goal is to have models featuring removable batteries, supported by a battery swapping network, but this will likely not be the case at the beginning of its EV journey.

    Interestingly, the placeholder scooter seen in these drawings seems to sport a single-seat layout, hinting that it could be targeted at B2B applications. Hub motors are also unsuitable for high power applications, suggesting that performance is not going to be at the forefront of this platform. Other noteworthy details include Activa-inspired front-end styling, and what seem to be 12-inch wheels at both ends.

    What would you prefer to see on Honda’s e-scooter, fixed or removable batteries? Tell us in the comments.

    Honda Bikes Bikes

    Copyright (c) Autocar India. All rights reserved.

    Comments

    ×
    img

    No comments yet. Be the first to comment.

    Ask Autocar Anything about Car and Bike Buying and Maintenance Advices
    Need an expert opinion on your car and bike related queries?
    Ask Now

    Search By Bike Price

    Poll of the month

    The Mahindra XUV 300 facelift will be called the XUV 3XO. Should more brands rename models for facelifts?

    Yes, it could give new life to a slow-selling car

     

    13.62%

    Yes, but only if there are significant changes

     

    32.27%

    No, it's confusing and dilutes the brand name

     

    29.25%

    No difference, the product speaks for itself

     

    24.86%

    Total Votes : 1094
    Sign up for our newsletter

    Get all the latest updates from the automobile universe