Honda PCX Electric vs Ather 450X: Photo Comparison

Can the Japanese giant take on the young Indian brand’s electric scooter?

The electric two-wheeler market in India has witnessed a massive surge in the past couple of years. Ather Energy’s success has tempted big players like Bajaj, TVS, Hero MotoCorp, and even Suzuki to venture into the EV business. In fact, even Honda patented its electric offering, the PCX Electric, in India last year. But is it good enough to take on the Ather 450X? Let’s take a closer look at these e-scooters to find out:

The Honda PCX Electric is a maxi-styled e-scooter that shares its design with the other scooters from the PCX family. It’s a head-turner thanks to its proportions, smooth flowing lines, and European styling. The Ather 450X, on the other hand, features a rather sporty design with aggressive lines and still, it blends with the general crop of scooters.

Both e-scooters feature LED headlight but the Honda sports a more sophisticated and a rather cool looking setup. The twin headlights with two pairs of DRLs look menacing, especially when compared to the compact unit on the Ather 450X. Even though the Ather too gets DRLs and integrated indicators, it doesn’t stand out.

Unsurprisingly, the Honda comes with quite an archaic LCD instrument console that displays just the basic information. It doesn’t get any connectivity or navigation features, unlike the Ather 450X that comes with a thoroughly modern 7-inch touchscreen console. It gets Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, and now with the latest OTA update, riders can even control the music or accept calls via the switchgear.

Even though the Honda PCX Electric and the Ather 450X use permanent magnet motors, the placement of the motor is different. While Honda chose to integrate it in the swingarm, Ather opted for a traditional route with a final belt drive. The PCX produces a peak output of 4.2kW and 18Nm while Ather develops 6kW and 26Nm.

Surprisingly, the Honda PCX Electric doesn’t score high on range, either. Though it gets a pair of removable batteries, the claimed range is a measly 41km. The Ather, on the other hand, has a claimed range of 116km. The Honda’s batteries take around six hours to charge while it takes five and a half hours for the Ather.

• Kabira Mobility KM 3000, KM 4000: First Ride Review
• Ather Maxi-style Electric Scooter Patent Filed
• Gogoro Viva Electric Scooter Trademarked in India

Despite the big proportions, the PCX falls short on underseat storage too. With the battery packs occupying most of the space, you are left with just about enough room to keep your documents. Thanks to the underbody battery placement on the Ather, it gets a 22-litre underseat storage.

The Honda PCX comes equipped with a fob and a multi-function switch to switch on the e-scooter or lock its handle. Ather, meanwhile, has stuck to the conventional key.

Braking duties are handled by a disc at the front, paired with Nissin caliper, while a drum brake handles the duties at the rear on the Honda. The 450X gets a superior brake setup with petal disc brakes on both ends with ByBre calipers.

The suspension setup is also different on both the e-scooters. While the Honda gets twin shocks at the rear, the Ather comes with a centrally mounted monoshock. Both the Ather 450X and the Honda PCX Electric get a telescopic front fork. The PCX runs on 14-inch wheels, while the Ather comes with 12-inch wheels.