Honda forays into India’s e-2W market with Activa e: and QC1 scooters

The Activa e: is the electric alternative to the Activa, India’s best-selling scooter with a legacy as old as Honda’s existence in the country’s two-wheeler market – 23 years. Honda offers it with two 1.5 kWh swappable battery packs under the seat, which together deliver a range of 102 km. The swappable battery packs eat up much of the under-seat storage space, an aspect scooter customers in India consider important. Honda does offer two small cubbies on the front apron, though, along with a USB Type-C charging port.

The swappable battery packs power a swingarm-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor that produces 6 kW and 22 Nm of torque. This setup enables the Activa e: to accelerate from 0 to 60 kph in 7.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 80 kph. Honda gives a choice of three riding modes – Standard, Sport, and Econ, and it also includes a reverse mode for convenient parking. The company offers an H-Smart key fob for keyless unlock and start functionality.

The Activa e: features a clean and elegant design with smooth body panels, sleek, all-LED lights, rounded mirrors, flush-integrated foot pegs and side-stand, and 12-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. The new electric scooter also has a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, phone calls, and connected vehicle functions. However, Honda will also offer a more basic version of the Activa e: with a 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The QC1 is like the low-cost version of the Activa e:, featuring a similar design but fewer and less advanced features and some mechanical downgrades. It skips the LED daytime running light on the top and does without the 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system option. Honda swaps the (160 mm) disc brake at the front with a drum brake. At the rear, it replaces the 12-inch wheel with a 10-inch wheel and the monoshock with twin shock absorbers.

Instead of two 1.5 kWh swappable battery packs, the QC1 has a 1.5 kWh fixed battery, which delivers a range of 80 km. Honda equips this model with what looks like a Chogori connector. The company claims charging the 1.5 kWh battery pack from 0 to 80% takes 4 hours and 30 minutes, and from 0 to 100% takes 6 hours and 50 minutes. As for the motor, it uses a hub-mounted BLDC unit that develops 1.8 kW and 77 Nm of torque and offers only two riding modes – Standard and Econ. The only upgrade over the Activa e: in the QC1 is a 26-litre under-seat storage box.

Honda plans to sell the Activa e: only in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru and the QC1 also in select cities. The company has already set up ‘BeX’ battery swapping stations in Delhi and Bengaluru and plans to roll them out in Mumbai soon. It will manufacture both electric scooters at its Narsapura plant near Bengaluru.

honda2wheelersindia.com , autocarindia.com (Activa e:), autocarindia.com (QC1)