Honda Enters India's EV Market With Activa e and QC1 Scooters

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), on Wednesday, launched its first set of electric vehicles in India—Activa e: and QC1. These are Honda’s 12th and 13th electric scooters in the global market, respectively. While bookings for the vehicles will begin on January 1, 2025, the deliveries will commence from February. The company has not revealed the price yet.

"It is in line with Honda’s global ‘Triple Action to ZERO’ concept to realize carbon neutrality by 2050, which focuses on three areas: carbon neutrality, clean energy, and resource circulation," Tsutsumu Otani, MD, president and CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India.

Building on the ACTIVA internal combustion engine vehicles, the ACTIVA e: comes in a new look with LED combination lights and indicators for the front and rear. It has two variants—ACTIVA e: and ACTIVA e: Honda RoadSync Duo—available in five colours. The  ACTIVA e: carries two swappable 1.5 kWh batteries. Power is delivered to a wheel-side motor, producing 4.2 kW of output, which can be increased to 6 kW. The scooter offers a range of 102 km per charge and comes with three riding modes: Standard, Sport and Econ.

The QC1 scooter has a fixed battery set-up and relies on a charging cable to gain power. It features a fixed 1.5 kWh battery pack and a dedicated charger. Power is sent to a compact in-wheel motor, generating between 1.2 kW and 1.8 kW. It offers a range of 80 km per charge. The QC1 is also equipped with a 5-inch LCD instrument panel, under-seat storage and a USB Type-C charging port.

Both the EV models will be manufactured at HMSI’s Narsapura plant near Bengaluru and will be available with a warranty of 3 years or 50,000 km along with three free services for the first year.

Meanwhile, Honda, in a press release, said it is developing its swapping sharing service in three major cities in India—Bengaluru, the National Capital Territory of Delhi and Mumbai. Honda Power Pack Energy India will operate Honda e:Swap, a battery sharing service. The service has been launched in Bengaluru and Delhi. In Mumbai, it is scheduled to be launched next year.

Honda’s launch of electric scooters comes at a time when the market of electric vehicles is increasing in India. These scooters are expected to attract a wide audience. The company is planning to sell 30 electric two wheeler models globally by 2030.