While Honda has introduced practical, well-equipped EVs, their availability in just a few cities could be impacting overall sales potential
Earlier this year in January, Honda had launched the Activa e: and QC1 electric scooters, priced at Rs 1.17 lakh and Rs 90,000, respectively. Coming from Honda, it was expected that these scooters would emerge as popular options for folks looking for greener alternatives. However, data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) reveals that Honda has actually stopped production of these scooters since August 2025. Let’s check out the details.
Honda Activa e:, QC1 – Low sales to blame?
After the launch of Activa e: and QC1, production of these scooters was a total of 11,168 units between February and July 2025. SIAM data reveals that only 5,201 units have been dispatched to dealers. That means more than half of the manufactured units are currently lying as unsold inventory. This could be the reason why Honda may have chosen to pause production of the Activa e: and QC1 electric scooters.
When the scooters were launched, it was felt that Activa e: will be the one generating higher sales volumes. Not only does it have the ‘Activa’ branding, but the scooter also comes with the advanced and user-friendly battery swapping tech. With battery swapping, consumer issues like range anxiety, battery maintenance and battery replacement are completely eliminated.
Also, one does not have to wait for charging the battery pack. At a battery swapping station, the discharged battery can be replaced with a fully-charged one in just 1-2 minutes. Honda has also been taking steps to boost sales of the Activa e: electric scooter. For example, the battery rental prices were reduced earlier this year in June. It was also reported that Honda was thinking about introducing a home charging dock for the Activa e:.
Honda’s electric scooter performance has remained noticeably weak since launch earlier this year, especially when compared to the sharp growth seen across India’s EV two-wheeler market. While brands like TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and Ather Rizta are posting strong month-on-month gains—helping the overall EV industry grow over 38% in October 2025.
QC1 sales higher than Activa e:
Although Activa e: has many benefits, it is the QC1 that has seen higher dispatches to dealers. Of the 5,201 units dispatched to dealers, 4,461 units or 86% were QC1. The rest, only 740 units, were Activa e:. QC1 was offered at a lower price and came with a portable charger. This aligns with current consumer preferences in the electric two-wheeler segment. Most of the leading OEMs in the EV segment, such as Bajaj, TVS, Ather, Ola and Hero MotoCorp, have similar product offerings.
Battery swapping is definitely advantageous, but it needs a well-developed infrastructure to succeed. As of now, Honda is the only major player to offer battery swapping tech with its Activa e: electric scooter. Limited availability could also be a reason why Honda’s electric scooters may not have delivered desired results. For example, Activa e: is offered only in three cities – Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi.
Honda QC1 is available in six cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chandigarh). This is higher than that of Activa e:, which could be a reason for QC1’s higher sales. However, 3 or 6 cities just cannot compare with the sales potential associated with a pan-India presence. It will be interesting to see how Honda handles this situation. A more aggressive network expansion for its EVs could be on the cards. Honda could also be looking to tweak its product offerings, in line with consumer preferences.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
