Honda unveils ACTIVA e, QC1; to take on Ola, Ather, Bajaj, TVS in EV market

A day after Ola Electric launched the Gig and S1 Z range of e-scooters, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) marked its EV debut in the Indian market, with its first electric scooters -- ‘ACTIVA e:’ and ‘QC1’ in Bengaluru today. With this, Honda is expected to take on rivals like Ola, Ather, Bajaj, and TVS in the EV market.

Bookings for these electric scooters will begin on January 1, 2025, while deliveries will start from February 2025, says the company. Yogesh Mathur, director, sales and marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, says ACTIVA e:’s swappable battery technology and QC1’s fixed battery set-up will help towards a cleaner future. "We are introducing industry-first insulated tools designed specifically for the servicing of electric vehicles,” says Mathur.

Equipped with an all-LED headlight and tail lamp with DRLs, the EV scooter sports a dual-tone seat, 12-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, a flat footboard and a sturdy grabrail. It will be available in two variants – ACTIVA e: and ACTIVA e: Honda RoadSync Duo, with five fresh colours.

ACTIVA e:

The Honda ACTIVA e: will have a 7.0-inch TFT screen that offers "real-time connectivity", with its Duo app. The company says the ACTIVA e: will allow "a quick and easy recharge", and will be equipped with Mobile Power Pack e:, which are swappable batteries. The EV scooter will get two such swappable batteries, each of 1.5 kWh capacity, and it is tested to offer a range of 102 km on a full charge.

The company says ACTIVA e: delivers 6 kW of peak power and 22 Nm of torque. It can sprint from 0 to 60 km/h in 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 80 km/h. The ACTIVA e: gets three riding modes -- Econ, Standard & Sport.

Honda QC1

The Honda QC1 is powered by a 1.5 kWh fixed battery pack, which, the company claims, can deliver a range of 80 km on a single charge. "It can be charged from 0 to 80% in 4 hours 30 minutes, while a full juice up will take 6 hours and 50 minutes."

The company says the QC1 gets an in-wheel electric motor that has a peak power rating of 1.8 kW and a maximum torque of 77 Nm. The EV scooter also has a top speed of 50 km/h, with two riding modes.

Both the electric scooters will be sold via the company's selected dealerships. The ACTIVA e: will be sold in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with deliveries starting in February 2025. "The QC1 will be initially available in select cities from February 2025 onwards," the company says.

Both the EV models will be manufactured at HMSI’s Narsapura plant near Bengaluru in Karnataka. These will be offered with 3 years or 50,000 km warranty.

Ola e-scooters

Ola’s new range of scooters comprises Ola Gig, Ola Gig+, Ola S1 Z, and Ola S1 Z+, which will be available at an introductory pricing of ₹39,999 (ex-showroom), ₹49,999 (ex-showroom), ₹59,999 (ex-showroom), and ₹64,999 (ex-showroom), respectively. The reservations for both Ola Gig and Ola S1 Z series opened at ₹499, starting on November 26, while deliveries will begin starting April 2025, and May 2025, respectively.