Honda Enters EV Segment With The Launch Of Two Escooters

After much ado, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has finally forayed into the electric vehicle (EV) segment with the launch of two electric scooters – Activa E and QC1.

In a statement, the company said that the bookings for the escooters will begin from January 1, 2025, and deliveries will commence February 2025 onwards.

While Activa E is built on a 6 kW direct drive motor and will come with a range of around 102 km and maximum speed of 80 km per hour, QC1 boasts a compact in-wheel 1.8 kW motor and a 1.5 kWh lithium-ion BP cell chemistry. The latter will have a range of around 80 km and top speed of 50 km per hour. 

Additionally, Activa E will feature a 7-inch TFT screen, while QC1 will have a 5-inch LCD display that will offer all the vehicle information. Both EV models will be manufactured at the company’s Narsapura plant in Karnataka, the statement added. 

The automaker has partnered OMC Power in major metro cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai to support battery swapping. 

“Today is a very significant day as HMSI steps into the electric mobility space. The introduction of ACTIVA E: and QC1 marks a defining step in our commitment to sustainable mobility in India…,” said HMSI managing director, president and CEO Tsutsumu Otani.

HMSI is the second-largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India and sold 45.30 Lakh scooters and motorcycles in India in the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24). Activa is among the most successful models for HMSI and is also one of the highest selling scooters in India. 

With the new launches, HMSI has become the latest entrant in the Indian EV market. The EV space in India is already populated by the likes of homegrown startups such as Ola Electric and IPO-bound Ather Energy, as well as legacy players like TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp. 

HMSI will look to leverage its brand name, its service network, and the appeal of the Activa model to make a dent in the homegrown electric two-wheeler market. 

As per reports, the penetration of EVs in the two-wheelers is still around 6-7%, which provides ample room for new entrants to disrupt the space and foster faster adoption of EVs. 

What has further shored up the demand is the availability of sops and incentives from Centre as well as state governments to manufacturers to scale up the production as well as adoption of EVs. 

As per an Inc42 report, the homegrown EV market is projected to become a $110.74 Bn market opportunity by 2029.