Honda QC 1 Unveiled: Key Highlights

Honda has finally embarked upon its EV journey in India by unveiling not just one but two electric scooters – Activa e: and QC 1. The latter will slot in as the more affordable alternative in the Japanese manufacturer’s stable, with the letters QC standing for ‘Quality Casual.’ It will go on sale across India starting on January 1, 2025. Here are its key highlights:

Lighter and Brighter

The Honda Activa QC 1 is built around a completely new chassis with a telescopic fork and dual-shock absorber as its suspension. It rides on 12-/10-inch alloy wheels, and the overall kerb weight is just 89.5 kg. The last detail suggests that the QC 1 should be a nimble ride. Coupled with the seat height being 769 mm, it should be accessible for all types of riders as well. Despite such low seat height, the Honda QC 1 still gets a ground clearance of 169 mm, which is significantly more than the iQube S’ 157 mm ground clearance.

Lastly, complimenting this overall package has five bright colour options: Pearl Serenity Blue, Pearl Misty White, Pearl Igneous Black, Pearl Shallow Blue, and Matte Foggy Silver Metallic.

Battery And Range

The Honda QC 1 is powered by a 1.5 kWh fixed battery. It is good for 80 km of range on a single charge and takes almost 7 hours to juice up fully. Honda is offering a 330 W charger as the only standard option that is compatible with your regular 6W household power socket. This unit can help charge the battery from 0 to 80 per cent in 4 hours and 30 minutes. 

Performance

The battery powers a hub motor, producing 1.8 kW of peak power. It is suitable for a top speed of 50 kmph and is good for a 7-degree steep climb. Being a low-cost city runabout scooter, the Honda QC 1 is not the most performance-oriented scooter, for it takes 9.4 seconds to do the 0-40 kmph dash. 

Ride Modes

Honda is offering the QC 1 with two ride modes: Econ and Standard. While the Econ mode will be best to extract maximum range, we think the standard mode would be ideal for everyday traffic scenarios. 

Features And Practicality. 

The Honda QC 1 is not the most feature-rich scooter of the two but it has the basics covered. Complimenting that nice sleek and simple body design are all-LED headlight, turn indicators and tail light. There’s 26 litres of storage space available under the seat. The front apron section also has a cubby hole with the provision for a Type C USB charger. Mounted on the headlight cowl is a 5-inch LCD display, sadly, which does not support Bluetooth connectivity. 

The new Honda QC 1 will be available across select Red Wing showrooms. It should be competitively priced considering its relatively modest spec sheet.