Telugu Youtuber Pips Honda, Builds An Activa Electric Scooter From Scratch

The conversion cost includes the price of the donor vehicle

We recently brought you details around Honda’s plans for an electric scooter. However, considering how inherent ‘jugaad’ is in our context, a Youtuber in Nellore (Andhra Pradesh) has already created a working electric scooter based on the Activa!

The youtuber, DIY Tech In Telugu, customised a previous-gen Honda Activa into an electric scooter, and save for some decals, it looks identical to the donor vehicle. However, there are a host of changes on the scooter, the first being the instrument console and switchgear. 

The Activa’s analogue console has been replaced (and quite cleanly, if we may add) by an all-digital unit which shows relevant data including the battery charge status and percentage, remaining range, speedometer, odometer and mode selected. Yes, this electric Honda Activa even gets three riding modes along with park mode, all of which can be controlled via the right side switchgear.

Moving now to the powertrain, the electric scooter sports a hub-mounted motor rated at 1 kW of continuous power and 2 to 2.5 kW of peak power, mated to a 2.88kWh (72V 40Ah) battery. The top speed of this electric scooter is capped at 55kmph, with a claimed range of 120km. The battery management system is also reportedly smartphone-compatible.

From what is claimed the whole conversion cost Rs 1 lakh, including the donor vehicle, which is of course a used two-wheeler. That said, this factors in the costs incurred throughout the trial-and-error in the duration of the build. Hence, replicating the build may be marginally less expensive. Then again, such conversions will have to be approved by the RTO authorities, which may in turn add to the overall costs. Instead, it would be easier to buy an electric scooter, such as the TVS iQube which retails for Rs 99,130 (on-road Delhi, include Fame 2 and state subsidy) or the Ola S1 Air which retails for Rs 84,999 (ex-showroom Delhi, including Fame 2 and state subsidy).

So what do you think of this “electric Activa”? Tell us in the comments, and while you’re at it, consider subscribing to our Youtube channel as well.