Honda Activa e

The Honda Activa has been the most popular scooter name for over two decades, dominating the category with its reliability, practicality, and ease of use. With the electric revolution gaining momentum, Honda decided to finally step into the EV game with the Activa e: one of its first two electric scooters in India. Targeted primarily at urban commuters, the Activa e: is said to be built on the strengths of its petrol sibling while adopting a clean, electric heart. The Activa e: runs on battery swapping technology and is currently available only in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. We did get a chance to ride the scooter in varying conditions in Bangalore to bring you a detailed review of how it performs. 

Honda Activa e: Design

From some angles, the Activa e: looks similar to its petrol counterpart. Honda has played it safe with the styling, sticking to a simple, family-friendly design. The proportions of this scooter are compact, and the silhouette is recognisable. A few elements differentiate it from the ICE model such as the sleeker LED lighting, blue accents, and a closed-off front apron. It's not a head-turner, but you could say that it strikes a good balance between familiarity and freshness.

Honda Activa e: Colours

This electric scooter is available with the option of five colour schemes. They include Pearl Shallow Blue, Pearl Serenity Blue, Pearl Misty White, Matt Foggy Silver Metallic, and Pearl Igneous Black. My pick would be the Pearl Serenity Blue as it is a really calm shade and does well with the theme of the scooter.

Honda Activa e: Build Quality

As expected from Honda, the build quality of the scooter is really good. The panels feel strong, are well-finished, and the fit-and-finish is commendable. It surely does feel like a durable and long-lasting product.

Honda Activa e: Convenience Features

The top-spec variant of the Activa e: gets a 7-inch TFT display featuring Bluetooth connectivity, for incoming call alerts and navigation. The display is crisp, clean, and navigating through the menus is easy with the switchgear on the left hand side. It has three riding modes; Eco, Standard, and Sport. The scooter also features a keyless system, a USB charging port, and a reverse mode. The reverse mode is unique where it requires no throttle input but for a rider to press two buttons continuously and release one when they need to stop reversing. This process will take some getting used to. 

Honda Activa e: Safety Features

The scooter gets a CBS (Combined Braking System), side-stand cut-off, and auto-cut charging protection. These are basic features but more than enough for a family scooter with this level of performance.

Honda Activa e: Rider Comfort

The riding posture is upright and relaxed, with the handlebars offering good leverage and a well-cushioned seat for comfort. The seat height is accessible for most riders, and the overall ergonomics are neutral and city-friendly. The throttle response is smooth and predictable, making it easy for first-time EV users.

Honda Activa e: Pillion Comfort

The pillion seat is spacious, with a supportive back grab rail and flat footrests. The suspension setup is tuned for comfort, so pillion riders won’t have much to complain about when travbelling in city conditions.

Honda Activa e: Motor 

The Honda Activa e: makes use of a motor that delivers a peak output of 6kW and has a claimed 0-60kmph acceleration time of 7.3 seconds. The scooter gets three riding modes including Eco, Standard, and Sport which have been tuned well for different riding scenarios. 

Honda Activa e: City Performance

The Activa e:’s swingarm-mounted motor is not the most powerful, but it does provide smooth power delivery, which makes riding at city speeds quite a relaxing experience. The claimed top speed of 80kmph is not really that fast, but similar to other electric scooters, and more than enough for city use. The top speed in the Eco mode is limited to 50kmph, but it offers the most range, while the Sport mode allows for slightly quicker riding, but the range drops considerably. For quick overtakes on open roads, a rider will need to be in Sport mode.

Honda Activa e: Highway Performance

With the 80kmph top-speed, this is ideally not a vehicle you would want to take out on the highway but it can manage short runs in Sport mode. 

Honda Activa e: Batteries & Range

The scooter makes use of two swappable 1.5kWh batteries, which gives it a 3kWh total capacity. Together, these batteries are said to provide a claimed range of 102kms. They can only be swapped at Honda's battery swapping stations, and cannot be charged at home. I did experience swapping the batteries at an official station and it was a quick process. It may just even be quicker than fueling up a scooter.

The full range displayed after swapping out the batteries was 102km and the range displayed remained the same in all three riding modes. Honda says that the range will drop faster in Standard and Sport mode. But this can lead to range anxiety, so it would have been nice if the accurate range for each mode was displayed when the mode was switched. Honda currently has the most swapping stations operational in Bengaluru and soon, plans to expand the number of stations in Mumbai and Delhi.

Honda Activa e: Handling

The Activa e: has a kerb weight of 119 kg, rides on 12-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, and gets a ground clearance of 171 mm. The scooter feels light and nimble, which makes it easy to zip through traffic. 

Honda Activa e: Tyres & Brakes

The tyres offered good grip throughout my time spent with the scooter and the brakes also performed well. They have enough bite and get the scooter to come to a halt in a safe manner. Even though the brakes work well, ABS would have been appreciated considering the price point of the scooter.

Honda Activa e: Ride Quality

The Activa e: has a fairly decent ride quality for our Indian road conditions but does feel a bit stiff when riding through really bad sections of road or crossing potholes. The ride quality does feel plusher over bad roads with a pillion on board.

Honda Activa e: Verdict

Prices for the scooter start at Rs 1.17 lakh and go up to Rs 1.52 lakh (ex-showroom prices). The scooter is well built and offers decent performance for city riding. It is quite an expensive affair when you consider that you do not own the batteries and have to run the scooter on a subscription. From what I currently know, there are two options available. The 40km/day subscription is priced at approximately Rs 2,000 + GST per month and the 100km/day subscription is priced at Rs 3,600 + GST. That would bring running costs in a year to over Rs 25,000 or Rs 44,000, depending on the subscription you pick. In my opinion, it does not make sense as it seems to work out more expensive than filling fuel in an ICE scooter. I do hope Honda can find a way to reduce the prices of the subscription or charge customers only on the basis of how many kilometres they are riding every month.

Honda Activa e: Competition

The Activa e: goes up against the likes of the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Ather Rizta S, and Ola S1 X+. While these rivals offer better performance and tech, the Activa e: is reliable considering it is a Honda product, has good build quality, and a simple, no-nonsense approach. Riders who want a more affordable version of this scooter with a fixed battery pack can also check out the QC1.