Honda Unveils Its First Electric Scooters With Activa e: And QC 1

Honda has entered the hotly contested Indian electric scooter space with not one but two brand new models – Activa e: and QC 1. Both scooters come with different battery technologies, the Activa e: will be available with swappable batteries, the QC 1 will be available with fixed battery technology. 

Bookings for both the scooters will start from next year, January 1 onwards. Honda will roll out the Activa e: in a phased manner across key cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai first. The QC 1 will be available pan India, though. Delivery details are still under wraps, but we expect them to start from January as well. 

Honda Activa e: And QC 1: Design And Underpinnings

Both the Honda Activa e: and QC 1 are built on a completely new platform. The design has a very simple appeal. Moreover, in essence, both scooters look and feel like an evolution of the OG Activa with several modern inclusions. For starters, the headlight and tail light are all LED units. Both scooters ride on 12-inch wheels suspended by telescopic fork, but the Honda Activa e: is available with a single rear shock, and the QC 1 equips dual-shock absorbers instead.  

Honda Activa e: And QC 1: Battery And Range

As mentioned above, the Honda Activa e: will support swappable battery technology. There are provisions to accommodate two battery packs, of 1.5 kWh capacity each. Honda claims that with both batteries on board, it can do 102 km of (real world) range on a full charge. The battery powers an in-house developed 6 kW-delivering PMS motor that produces 22 Nm peak torque. Performance-wise, the Honda Activa e: can do the 0-60 kmph dash in 7.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 80 kmph. These are on par figures for family e-scooters in India.

On the other end, the Honda QC 1 is powered by a smaller 1.5 kWh fixed battery pack that is good for 80 km of range on a single charge. It is available with a 330W charger cable, the QC 1 takes 4 hours and 30 minutes to charge the battery from 0-80 per cent, and almost 7 hours to juice up fully.  The QC 1 is powered by a 1.8 kW hub motor that is good enough to reach a top speed of 50 kmph. Honda aims for the QC1 to be a low-cost and affordable city runabout that is good enough to do small commutes.

Honda Activa e: And QC 1: Feature

On the features front, the Honda Activa e: is available with three ride modes – Econ, Standard and Sport. But the Honda QC 1 makes do with just two modes – Standard and Econ. These modes can be toggled on a 5-inch LCD on the QC 1, whereas on the top-spec Activa e: Roadsync Duo trim, it is replaced by a bigger 7-inch TFT screen. The latter opens up a plethora of features including full map navigation, call and music controls, and OTA updates. Additionally, Honda will also provide the Activa e: with its smart key fob as standard, which will further get you features like Smart Safe, Smart Find, Smart Start and Smart Unlock. 

Honda Activa e: And QC 1: Warranty

Being absolutely new products, both the Honda Activa e: and QC 1 will be sold in select Honda Red Wing dealerships. The latter detail is also an indication that both electric scooters will launch with an affordable asking price, but the exact number will be revealed on January 1, 2025. 

On the warranty end, both the Honda Activa e: and QC 1 will be available with a 3-year or 50,000 km warranty, along with three free services for the first year. To further the customer’s experience, Honda will also offer free roadside assistance for the first year. 

Honda’s move has come at a time when the market leader’s position has come under serious threat with established OEMs like TVS and Bajaj aiming to take charge. Will the Japanese sprinkle its magic in the EV segment and take top honours just like it did with its petrol-powered scooters? 2025 couldn’t come sooner.