Honda Debuts Its First Electric Scooter In Europe! Will it make it to India?

The newly unveiled EM1 e: makes use of Honda’s Power Pack e: swappable battery tech, which has been testing in India for quite some time

Honda has unveiled its first electric scooter, the EM1 e:, in Europe. It is the same minimalist EV sold as Honda U-Go in the Chinese markets. Interestingly, the e-scooter is not for direct sale but a subscription service.

Firstly, customers will not be able to buy the EM1 e: in Europe; instead, Honda is offering this e-scooter on lease, rent or subscription basis. Similar to what Ather has been doing with its 450X e-scooter. The service is expected to start by September of this year.

Why could this be? Well, one reason could be that putting the EV on direct sale would make it very expensive, and considering that the EM1 e: does not flaunt high output or range figures (45kmph top speed and 41.3km range) it could be rather pricey. So renting and leasing would offer more value for money. Furthermore, buying results in one big expense, plus it puts strain on the financials as it's a depreciating asset. Compared to that, renting minimises and consolidates buying + running costs. Head here for more details on the e-scooter. 

Now, the more important bit. Could Honda launch the EM1 e: here? It is unlikely, as the Japanese bikemaker has developed a completely new platform called Platform E under Project Vidyut.

Honda will launch two products by FY 2024 (which spans from April 2024 to March 2025), and one of them will be a mid-range EV (likely the Honda Activa Electric) with a fixed battery, whereas the other will make use of Honda Mobile Power Pack e: which is a swappable battery pack. You can head to this link to know more about Honda’s electric plans for India. 

Oh, and Honda plans to launch 10 electric two-wheelers in the next five years, you can head here to know more. Lastly, Honda has been testing its swappable battery tech, Power Pack e:, in India for quite some time with the Honda Benly E electric scooter.