While the Activa E has removable battery packs, the QC1 electric scooter comes with a fixed battery setup
After a long wait, Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India (HMSI) has introduced their electric scooters in India. As both removable and nonremovable battery pack options are available, Honda’s electric scooters can target a larger segment of users. Popular EVs like Ola, Bajaj Chetak and Ather are offered with only non-removable batteries. Only recently Ola has introduced a new model with a removable battery pack.
2025 production target at 1 lakh units
For the first year, HMSI will be producing around 1 lakh electric scooters. It includes both the Activa E and QC1. The scooters will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Narsapura (Karnataka). Honda has three other factories, located in Alwar (Rajasthan), Manesar (Haryana) and Vithalapur (Gujarat). However, the EVs will be manufactured only at the Narsapura factory.
While most details about Activa E and QC1 have been revealed, the prices will be announced in January. Bookings will also commence in the same month. Deliveries are scheduled to start from February 2025. As Honda has been able to achieve 99% localization, one can expect the electric scooters to be available at an attractive price point. Even the battery packs are being sourced from a local supplier.
Phased rollout across India
To avoid long waiting periods, Honda will be rolling out its electric scooters across India in a phased manner. Initially, metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will be targeted. Other cities and locations will be covered in a phased manner. In 2025, Honda has plans to cover around half of the domestic electric two-wheeler market.
Honda electric scooters, Activa E and QC1, will be sold via the existing Red Wing dealerships. The company does not have plans to set up any exclusive dealer network for its electric scooters. Dedicated spaces will be created within the existing Red Wing dealerships for the electric scooters. Honda India is also working to upgrade its existing dealerships to ensure that they can handle the sales and service of EVs.
QC1 vs Activa E
Among the two, the QC1 with non-removable battery pack will be cheaper than Activa E. It has a single battery pack of 1.5 kWh. The BLDC motor produces peak power of 2.44 PS. Certified range is 80 km, whereas top speed is limited to 50 km/H. Accelerating from 0 to 40 km/H will take 9.4 seconds. Tackling uphill roads can be challenging, as QC1 has gradeability of only 7 degrees. The scooter gets a simple 5-inch LCD display with IP65 water and dust resistance rating.
Activa E could be positioned as a premium product, as it offers better performance and advanced features. This is especially true for the top variant that will have a dedicated connectivity suite. The base variant will be relatively cheaper. Performance aspects are the same for both variants. Activa E utilizes dual swappable lithium-ion battery packs of 1.5 kWh capacity each. Max power output is 8.15 PS. Certified range is 102 km, whereas top speed is 80 km/H. 0 to 60 km/H can be achieved in 7.3 seconds. Activa E has a gradeability of 13 degrees.
Since home charging is not available with Activa E, the battery packs will be offered via a BaaS (Battery as a Service) program. This will be beneficial, as it will reduce the cost of ownership. Users also need not worry about things like battery life and battery maintenance and replacement.
Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
