Good news for potential Honda Activa electric scooter owners: a home charging option, currently available in Europe, might soon make its way to India, solving a major charging hurdle.
Tackling the Charging Challenge
When Honda launched the Activa e: and QC1 electric scooters in India, a common concern was the exclusive reliance on Honda’s battery-swapping infrastructure for charging. This meant users couldn’t simply plug in their scooter at home.
For many, the idea of having to locate a swapping station, especially in cities where the network is still developing, was a significant drawback. It limited the convenience factor of owning an electric scooter.
A Solution from Europe
Meet the CUV e:
The Honda Activa e: is closely related to the European CUV e: scooter. They share much of their underlying technology, features, and even some bodywork. Honda has now rolled out the CUV e: in European markets, and here’s the exciting part: it comes with a dedicated charging dock for its batteries.
How Home Charging Could Work
Unlike many electric scooters with fixed battery packs, both the Activa e: and the CUV e: use two removable battery units. Neither scooter has a built-in charging port for direct charging while the batteries are in place.
This is where the charging dock comes in. You simply remove the portable battery pack from the scooter and place it into this dock. Honda states that a full 0-100 percent charge for the European CUV e:’s 2.6kWh battery (split into two 1.3kWh packs) takes about 6 hours with its 270W offboard charger. A quick top-up from 25 percent to 75 percent takes around 3 hours.
It’s worth noting that the Indian Activa e: has slightly larger 1.5kWh portable packs, totaling 3kWh. While the exact charging times might vary slightly for the Indian model, the principle of home charging via a dock remains the same.
Why This Matters for India
Currently, the Activa e: in India is sold under a BaaS (Battery as a Subscription) model, with Honda’s subsidiary managing the batteries. Customers are dependent on Honda’s nascent battery-swapping network, which is primarily concentrated in Bengaluru for now, with plans to expand to other metro cities.
Introducing this home charging dock would be a game-changer. It would offer a much-needed alternative for customers, allowing them to charge their scooter’s batteries conveniently at their residence, rather than solely relying on public swapping stations.
- The Honda Activa electric could soon offer a home charging option, similar to its European counterpart.
- This involves a dedicated dock for charging the scooter’s removable battery packs.
- It would address the current limitation of relying solely on Honda’s battery-swapping infrastructure in India.
It remains to be seen if Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) will bring this solution to the Indian market, but it would undoubtedly boost the appeal and practicality of the Activa e: for potential buyers.
