Honda has introduced the UC3 electric scooter in Thailand and Vietnam markets. This is the third Honda electric scooter in the geography, with both the CUV e: and Icon e: already in the market. The CUV e: is energised with the Honda MPP swappable batteries, while the Icon e: has a floorboard-mounted battery that is fixed, with a charging port in the scooter. However, the battery may be removed and carried. However, it is not the MPP.
Fixed Pack
With the UC3, Honda is mating a fixed battery pack to the side-mounted motor found on the CUV e: and the Indian market Activa e:. The 3.17 kWh LFP battery pack is mounted in the floorboard, an arrangement similar to that found on the recently launched Suzuki e-Access/e-Address scooter.
Honda claims an 80 kph top speed, similar to the CUV e:, and claims a 122 km range (WMTC).
The big talking point is the adaptation of a “CHAdeMO for two-wheelers,” charging standard based on the international specification recommended by the CHAdeMO Association. Honda is offering two charger sizes-450W and 1200W. With the bigger charger, a 20% to 80% charge would take two hours.
Evocative Styling
The most exciting part of the UC3 is the styling. The scooter has a rather unique design language with flowing curves from front to rear, and a distinctive arched form around the tail section. The UC3 borrows the horizontal signature light, first seen on the WN7.
Production Plan
Honda would start manufacturing the UC3 in Thailand and would initially supply Vietnam from the Thailand base. However, local production in Vietnam should start by the second half of this year.
Expanding Charging Infra
While the CUV e: / Activa e: were all about swapping, the UC3 is about fast charging. Honda has announced that it would be expanding the charging infrastructure for fixed-battery electric motorcycles in Thailand and Vietnam, primarily at Honda dealerships and public spaces like parking lots of shopping malls.
Significance
This is a very important product for Honda. The CUV e: (and the Indian market Activa e:) is mated to Honda’s swapping network. Any swapping network is CAPEX-heavy and takes time to roll out. With the UC3 and its fixed battery, customers have the freedom to charge the scooter wherever they want. Since the battery is fixed, the ownership of the same is with the customer.
As a result, the UC3 would likely have a greater reach than the MPP-energised scooters.
A variant of the scooter should also head to the Indian market, where Honda is the market leader in ICE scooters, but has not done particularly well with electric scooters, being overpriced and constrained by its swapping network, which at this point is only available in three cities.
India and most ASEAN countries are fairly large geographically and densely populated. A battery swapping-based business plan works well for commercial usage limited to certain cities, but not for regular family-owned commuter scooters like the Activa e:. The UC3 should help Honda bridge the gap in its portfolio.
Importantly, the UC3 uses LFP chemistry, unlike the Honda MPPs, which use NMC cells. LFPs have a longer life, which would make this a better fit for customers.
Importantly, this is Honda telling us that MPP is not the only play they would have when it comes to mass-market electric mobility. There would be multiple, parallel plays. This is expected from an OEM with a 35%+ global market share, a share that it does not plan to cede to emerging e-mobility rivals.