Honda opens bookings for Activa e: and QC1 EVs at Rs 1,000

Even as the Indian electric two-wheeler industry has closed CY2024 on a strong note with sales of 1.14 million units and year-on-year growth of 33%, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), the latest legacy ICE two-wheeler OEM has thrown down the gauntlet to the top players. HMSI has today officially opened bookings for its two electric scooters – the Activa e: and QC1 at https://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/BookNow

While the Activa e: can be booked at select Honda two-wheeler dealerships in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai, the QC1 can be booked at Honda’s select dealerships in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Both zero-emission scooters can be booking at a nominal amount of only Rs 1,000.

Honda, which is the scooter market leader in India, will announce the prices of the Activa e and QC1 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 which opens in New Delhi on January 17. Deliveries for both these Honda EVs on two wheels are set to begin in February 2025. Both the Activa e: and QC1 will be manufactured at HMSI’s Narsapura plant in Karnataka. 

The Honda Activa e: is powered by a pair of 1.5kWh batteries, which can be swapped out at Honda’s Power Pack Exchanger e: battery swapping stations. The claimed IDC range on a single charge is 102km. These batteries send power to a swingarm-mounted motor that makes 6kW and 22Nm of torque, and the Activa e: has a claimed top speed of 80kph. Honda also claims that the electric Activa can manage the 0-60kph sprint in 7.3 seconds. Underpinnings are fairly basic, with an underbone frame suspended by a telescopic fork and monoshock setup. The Activa e: is available in two variants – Standard and Honda RoadSync Duo – where the former weighs 118kg and the latter 119kg. 

While the Activa e: is powered by two swappable 1.5kWh batteries, the Honda QC1 (pictured above) is powered by a sole 1.5kWh fixed battery.

Compared to the Acticva e: which appears similar to the QC1, the QC1 is a rather simple and basic electric scooter. While the Activa e: is powered by two swappable 1.5kWh batteries, the Honda QC1 is powered by a sole 1.5kWh fixed battery. It has a claimed IDC range of 80km with a full charge taking a long 6 hours and 50 minutes, courtesy of the 330-watt charger supplied with the QC1. That number drops to 4 hours and 30 minutes when you charge it from 0 to 80 percent SOC.

The small 1.5kWh battery powers a hub-mounted BLDC motor which makes 1.8kW (2.4hp) of peak power and 77Nm of torque. With a 50kph top speed and a 0-40kph time of 9.7 seconds, the Honda QC1’s performance claims are rather modest. But with a kerb weight of just 89.5kg, the QC1 should prove to be extremely friendly for most riders. The underpinnings are quite basic on the QC1, with a 12/10-inch alloy wheel setup and a 130mm/110mm drum brake combination akin to the petrol Activa.
(Technical inputs by Dinshaw Magol, Autocar India)

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