Honda QC3 vs Honda Activa E: What's Different

The QC3 is Honda's newest family electric scooter. It was recently unveiled and promises good range and practicality. Here's how it compares to the Honda Activa e.

Battery and Performance

• The Honda QC3 gets a fixed battery pack, unlike the Activa e, which uses dual swappable battery packs.

• Both scooters have the same total battery capacity of 3 kWh.

• The QC3 offers a claimed IDC (Indian Driving Conditions) range of 145 km, while the Activa e delivers a claimed IDC range of 102 km.

• The QC3 can be charged from 0-80% in 2 hours 40 minutes using a fast charger.

• The Activa e's swappable batteries cannot be charged at home and must be swapped at dedicated battery swapping stations.

• Honda has not revealed the QC3's motor specifications yet, but it is expected to offer performance similar to its rivals.

• The Activa e is powered by a 6 kW motor producing 22 Nm, with a claimed top speed of 80 kmph.

Features 

• Both scooters get LED lighting.

• Both scooters feature a similar 5-inch TFT console with Bluetooth connectivity.

• Both scooters also get USB charging ports to charge your mobile devices.

In terms of features, both scooters are evenly matched.

Underpinnings 

• Both scooters use telescopic forks. The QC3 gets twin shock absorbers, while the Activa e uses a monoshock.

• Both scooters have similar braking hardware, with a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. The Activa e also gets a combined braking system (CBS).

• The biggest difference lies in practicality. The QC3 offers 32 litres of underseat storage, while the Activa e has no underseat storage because of its swappable battery setup.

BikeDekho Says 

Honda tried its hand at the Indian EV scooter segment with the Activa e, but it did not pan out as they expected. Priced between Rs 1.18 lakh and Rs 1.52 lakh (ex-showroom), it failed to make the impact Honda had hoped for. However, the QC3 seems to plug in all the gaps on the Activa e, at least on paper. 

With only swappable batteries, the latter was limited to cities with Honda’s swapping network. Then there was its relatively low range. These were the major concerns with the electric Activa, which are seemingly addressed on the QC3. 

Now it will all depend on how they price it. If it is priced at around Rs 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom), we think it will have a good chance against its rivals like the Bajaj Chetak 3501, TVS iQube, Ather Rizta, and the Hero Vida VX2 Plus 3.4 kWh.