New Honda electric scooter versus rivals

The Honda Activa e comes with dual 1.5 kWh removable battery packs and little to no under-seat storage space in terms of practicality

The Indian e-scooter market has been booming and has become an attractive target for exploration by many OEMs. There are quite a few players, ranging from mainstream manufacturers like Bajaj, TVS, Hero, etc. to startups like Ola and Ather. There has never been a mainstream Japanese OEM in this field. so far.

Honda has just launched its new electric scooters in India, the base model QC1 and the higher-end, tech-heavy Activa e. Pricing of the Honda scooter will be announced in January 2025. We compared these scooters with three of the best-selling family electric scooters in India (TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and Ather Rizta) and here’s how Honda’s offering fared.

Honda electric scooters vs. competitors

Soon, Honda’s Activa e and QC1 will rival established family electric scooters sold in India. Both Activa e and QC1 come with Underbone chassis like Rizta and Chetak. Only the iQube has a tubular chassis. Except for the Chetak, all the electric scooters in this comparison are equipped with telescopic front forks.

Only the iQube and QC1 have dual shock absorbers, while the other models have a rear single shock absorber setup. The QC1 is the only car to offer a drum brake setup at the front, while others, including the Activa e, offer disc brakes. These family electric scooters are not yet available with rear disc brakes, which is a common feature among sporty models.

With the exception of the QC1, all scooters in this comparison come with 12-inch alloy wheels at both ends. This type of tire usually has a 90-section on both ends. But the Ather offers a 100-section rear tire, while the Activa e offers a fatter 110-section rear tire. The Activa e has almost no under-seat storage space thanks to its removable battery, while the Rizta promises 34 liters, the highest in this comparison.

Due to its budget nature, the Honda QC1 misses out on a TFT instrument cluster, even as an option, and therefore lacks any connectivity features. In this comparison, Honda and Bajaj are the only cars equipped with smart keys for keyless driving functionality.

In terms of pricing, Chetak has a higher edge as TecPac is priced at just Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000. For the larger batteries, the TVS is the most expensive but the Ather becomes the lowest in terms of VFM as the Pro Pack is priced between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 and the battery size and corresponding range are nothing to write home about.

Specifications and performance

The highest peak power of Activa e is 6 kW and the lowest peak power of QC1 is only 1.8 kW. The Rizta offers peak power of 4.3 kW, iQube 4.4 kW and Chetak 4.2 kW. Thanks to its in-wheel motor layout, the QC1’s peak torque is 77 Nm, while the iQube’s peak torque is 140 Nm. In terms of torque rating, the iQube steals the show with 33 Nm of torque.

The Activa e has a claimed range of 102 km and the QC1 has a range of 80 km. Rizita and Chetak claimed higher figures. TVS only gives the actual driving range, which is 150 kilometers using a 5.1kWh battery. When it comes to batteries, nothing beats the TVS, with the iQube’s top-spec 5.1 kWh having the largest capacity. The Activa e has two 1.5 kWh detachable units, while the QC1 has only one 1.5 kWh unit.

Except for QC1, which has a lower top speed of only 50 km/h, other quotes are around 80 km/h. The Activa e has reverse mode via Honda RoadSync Duo, the Chetak has reverse mode via TecPac and the Rizta has reverse mode via Pro Pack. Due to its large battery, the iQube is the heaviest, weighing in at 132kg.