Honda Activa e Electric Scooter First Look Review: Worth Buying?

The talking point of the Activa e is that it will come with swappable batteries while the IDC range claimed is around 102km.

The Activa e is a pretty well-equipped electric scooter with good ground clearance plus a decent range.

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

The Activa name has been around for a while but now it has taken a new turn towards electrification. The Activa e is indeed a big moment but the market already has a sizable number of players which means the specs of the Activa electric need to be impressive.

The talking point of the Activa e is that it will come with swappable batteries while the IDC range claimed is around 102km. There are two 1.5kWh swappable batteries which means the total battery capacity is 3kWh. However, the batteries cannot be taken out and charged at home which we think is a disadvantage but they can be swapped at Honda's battery swap stations.

However, that brings the question, how many battery swapping stations? That is very important since the Honda Activa e cannot be charged at home and one needs to be dependent on battery swapping stations. As of now, Bengaluru will be the first city to get this electric scooter with Mumbai and Delhi coming up by April 2025 with the important factor of setting swap stations in the first place! Unlike the QC1, the Activa e then cannot be sold in a city where there are no swap stations we assume! As of now there are 85 battery-swapping stations in Bengaluru while more will come in Mumbai plus Delhi.

Hence, you need to plan your journey with access to a battery swap station in mind! As far as the scooter is concerned, it is a simple but neat design with a hint of radical lines. We like the LED and the DRL set-up while the blue color is distinctive. In terms of power, the Activa e develops 6kW and 22Nm of torque while the top-speed is 80kph.

There are three ride modes- Eco, Standard, and Sport. Features include keyless start, Bluetooth,  turn-by-turn navigation, USB charger etc. Storage is affected by the battery packs placed under the seat but more storage spaces have been carved out too. Initially, this scooter would only be available across three cities and the aim is to have a battery station every 5km for a swap which customers will have to pay per swap.

While some features like a touchscreen are missing, the Activa e is a pretty well-equipped electric scooter with good ground clearance plus a decent range. However, the battery swap arrangement is the main draw which will save time but also a lot depends on the infrastructure. Prices would be revealed towards the end of the year so a lot depends on that. As of now, the Activa name will pull buyers in for sure.