Is Owning The Honda Activa e: More Affordable Now With The New BaaS Lite Plan?

Honda has launched a new Battery-As-A-Service (BaaS) Lite plan with the Activa e: which will set you back by ₹678 per month, plus 18 per cent GST. This is the third BaaS plan from the brand after the Base and Advanced plans that were introduced with the launch of the Activa e: earlier this year. 

The new subscription plan has been designed specifically to cater to customers with lower daily running, therefore one can purchase only 20 kWh per month. This is quite the economical option compared to the other two BaaS plans. Wherein the Base plan gets you 35 kWh, and with the Advanced plan it increases to 87 kWh per month. Operating the Activa e: with either of these two plans costs a bomb. 

Hence, have the running costs of the Activa e: reduced dramatically? Here are some basic calculations:

With this plan, it does become as reasonable as one would with fast charging an Ather electric scooter. However, it still is four times more expensive than what it would cost to charge an electric scooter at home in Bengaluru for the same amount of running. So, while Honda has made the purchase decision more digestible, it still is far from ideal. Also, if you do end up exhausting the swaps in the Lite plan, you will be charged an additional ₹70/kWh (plus 18% GST). This is significantly higher than the ₹35/kWh (plus 18% GST) charged for exceeding the Base and Advanced plans.

(Also Read: Honda Activa e: First Ride Review: Why Is It So Expensive To Run?)

The Honda Activa e: gets two swappable batteries on board with 1.5 kWh capacity each. With both the batteries charged fully, the Activa e: can do 102 km of claimed range. And since these are swappable batteries, no time is wasted in charging – all you need to do is reach your nearest Honda Battery Swapping station, and swap the depleted batteries for new ones. These have to be done in a pair and the entire process takes less than a minute.

Honda announced its new BaaS Lite plan while inaugurating its first-ever EV Concept store in Bengaluru. Located at Mantri Square Mall in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, this new concept store will be a one-stop shop for all things related to Honda’s electric mobility. A lot of thought has gone into making this one-of-a-kind EV shop, so much so that the company has also displayed its electric Racing Go-Kart (eGX) and the Honda Moto Compacto. It is the world’s first foldable electric scooter which looks like a briefcase but can travel up to 24 kmph, with a range of 20 km per charge. As for its more relevant offerings, both the Activa e: and QC1 are on display here, and interested customers can purchase the same too at the facility.