Honda Motorcycles and Scooters has recently launched the Activa e:, its first electric scooter in the country. It is available in two variants: Standard and RoadSync Duo, priced at Rs 1.17 lakh and Rs 1.52 lakh (ex-showroom). So, if you’re planning to buy the electrified Activa, let’s explore what makes it a standout in its class, alongside considerations that could impact its appeal in the competitive market of electric scooters.
Things We Like About Honda Activa e: (Pros)
- The Activa e: has a conventional scooter-like design with a few modern touches, giving it a balanced and contemporary appearance. This blend makes it appealing to riders of all age groups, from young commuters to older individuals who prefer a classic yet refined aesthetic. In fact, its design takes inspiration from the CUV e:, a model already on sale in Europe.
- What differentiates Activa e: from its rivals is its swappable batteries, which not only enhance convenience but also eliminate long charging waits, making it as easy and quick as refueling a conventional scooter. Additionally, the real world range is around 80-85 km, which should be sufficient for most commuters.
- The Activa e: is a well-equipped scooter. Offered in two variants, Standard and RoadSync, it comes loaded with amenities like a full-width LED headlamps, LED DRLs, a USB-C type port, a 5-inch LCD rider’s display (in the STD variant), and three riding modes: Eco, City and Sport. Bits like reverse mode, a smart key fob, and a 7.0-inch TFT cluster are exclusive to the top-spec Honda RoadSync Duo variant, which further enables features like topple alert, maintenance alert, call & music control, navigation, live tracking, and OTA updates support.
- Powered by a 6 kW PMSM motor, the Activa e: offers zippy performance in the City and Sport modes. However, the Eco mode feels lethargic, and most of the time, you would prefer staying in Normal mode.
- While Honda claims a top speed of 80 kmph, we managed to touch the approximately 90 kmph mark with it.
Shortcomings of Activa e:
- Priced between Rs 1.17 lakh and Rs 1.52 lakh (ex-showroom), the Activa e: feels overpriced, especially its range-topping RoadSync variant, which commands a hefty premium of Rs 34,600. For this extra cost, the RoadSync variant doesn’t offer significant additional features that would make it noticeably more practical and desirable compared to the STD variant.
- Honda offers the Activa e: battery pack under the Battery as a Service (BaaS) model. This means its batteries can only be swapped at Honda’s e: SWAP stations and cannot be charged at home. Additionally, the BaaS plans are quite complicated. The Base plan costs ₹2,000 + 18% GST per month for 35kWh, allowing around 40km of daily riding. On the other hand, the Advance plan costs ₹3,500 + 18% GST per month for 87kWh, offering up to 100km per day. Now, let’s understand this with an example. The Activa e: with 40 km daily running, costs Rs 1.96/km, whereas the ICE-powered Activa 125, with a petrol price of Rs 104.92 in Bengaluru and mileage of 45 km/l, costs Rs 2.31/km. The difference isn’t very substantial, especially considering the calculation of Activa e: is based on the claimed range figures, which are generally lower than the actual range. So you don’t benefit much from the Activa e: in terms of what EVs are primarily known for – low running costs. Also, you end up paying more upfront cost on the electric version. For reference, the Activa 6G and Activa 125 are currently priced between Rs 78,684 – 84,685 and Rs 95,140 – 99,146 (ex-showroom), respectively.
- With the swappable batteries located underneath the seat, the Activa e: has no boot space left, except for a tiny storage compartment suitable for storing a mobile phone or a small wallet.
- In our test ride, the mobile application didn’t work very smoothly, causing us to make multiple attempts to locate the swappable station. However, this is a software issue and can be rectified with future updates.
- As of now, the Activa e: is limited to just three metropolitian: Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. More cities will be added in the near future.
Conclusion
The Activa e: brings modern EV convenience to India’s most popular scooter nameplate. Its swappable battery technology eliminates long charging time, making it a good solution for city commuters with high running. Furthermore, its zippy performance, smooth ride and conventional Activa-like design further sweeten the case. However, the lack of a home charging facility, complicated battery subscription plans, and minimal storage space raise concerns, making it not a very practical solution for general usage.
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