When it comes to electric mobility, there are two Hondas, and they are worlds apart. The first is outside China, and that is taking baby styeps, bumbling and stumbling along the way. Most of that world is being build around the MPP. It was, that is, till the WN 7 came along. That, and some utility scooters built around fixed batteries are the only things not energised with the MPP.
But the WN7 would be a showpiece. Its underwhelming specs spiced by its overwhelming price means that its too sour a treat for most customers.
That leaves Honda’s scooter range, a bunch of commuter scooters of different sizes, and moderate specs. That’s expected as Honda is still fresh in the electric scooter market. Excitement and experimentation would come as the range matures.
The Story Inside China
Honda has two joint ventures in the two-wheeler business in China – Wuyang Honda and Sundiro Honda. Of the two, Sundiro Honda is only focused on electric bicycles (EBs). When we say EBs, these are scooter/moped lookalikes that also have a pedal option, technically making them EBs.
There are a bunch of them, all carrying similar specs, but radically different styling treatments. Scooter shaped EBs are a rage in China and Sundiro Honda is ensuring that its range covers all the bases.
All of the above have very similar specs with hib motors rated at 400W powering them. Top speed is regulated at 25 kph. However, look beyond the pedals, and they look as good as a compact scooter should. The batteries are 1.15 kWh, and Sundiro-Honda claims a range of 80-89 km, depending on wheel sizes and tire type. On the Cub e: and MS01, the batteries are smaller at 960W (packaging issues), and the range drops to 65km.
The batteries are portable, but Honda does not use its Mobile Power Packs (MPPs).
However, beyond the Spartan specs and the limited speeds, these EBs carry a good amount of frills like smartphone apps, NFC card unlock, turn indicators, and two-wheeler-level high-quality paint.
Wuyang Honda: The GOAT
However, the real talking point is Honda’s other joint venture, Wuyang Honda. This is the one that makes proper E2Ws. They still have some EBs in their portfolio. Surprisingly, these EBs are different from the ones on the Sundiro portfolio.
The first is the U-be. This was one of Honda’s first EBs in the Chinese market and is also available in some international markets. Honda offers it with both Lead-Acid and Li-ion batteries, with the top-rated battery being 1.44 kWh.
Motors, across the range, are regulated at 400W and the top speed limited to 25 kph.
The second is the U-Qe, an EB with an optional second saddle.
Finally, we have the Zoomer e:. The original Zoomer, a 125cc scooter, is quite a cult favourite in some markets. The Zoomer e: carries the same styling in an EB package.
The real fun, though, starts once we go beyond the EB range, into real scooters. The base scooter is the U-be+, which, as the name suggests, is an entry-level scooter carrying the U-be styling. Obviously, being a full scooter, this has space for two.
Specs remain entry-level and quite antiquated with a 2.1 kW hub motor and a 1.65 kWh Lead-Acid battery pack enabling a 48 kph top speed.
The next in the range is the U-VO GT, a proper commuter scooter. However, specs continue to remain modest. Power comes from hub motors rated at 2.1 kW – 3.2 kW.
There are multiple battery packs on offer as well, with the biggest being a 2.3 kWh removable one.
Then comes the E-VO GT, a maxi-commuter scooter. This is a sort of flagship in the Wuyang Honda range.
Amongst other things, the E-Vo GT comes with front and rear dashcams in collaboration with DJI. There is also a rear radar, and Honda’s China-market Wi-Link connectivity suite connects every peripheral.
Power comes from a mid-drive motor that peaks at 15.8 kW. Most importantly, the motor can rev up to 10,000 rpm. Energy comes from portable battery packs, each 2.05 kWh. Like many other Chinese manufacturers, Wuyang-Honda has figured out how to package three of them under the seat. With a cumulative energy capacity of 6.2 kWh, the E-VO GT three battery version has a claimed range of 170 km.
Finally, we have the E-VO WH8000D. This is a motorcycle, if you would like to call anything with a 16″ front and a 14″ rear that. But by virtue of this not having a step-through area, this should be classified as a motorcycle. Wh calls it a Cafe Racer.
The WH8000D carries most of the hardware from the E-VO GT maxi-scooter, with the same 15.8 kW mid-drive motor powering this. Honda keeps the top speed at 120 kph. The connectivity suite, the dashcams and the rear radar are all carried forward from the GT.
As is evident, Honda has more going on in electric vehicles inside China than outside it. That is understandable, as the Chinese electric two-wheeler industry is a few years ahead of the rest of the world. In an ideal world, Honda’s Chinese JVs should have been the drawing board for the rest of the world. Like China, the other major E2W markets are all developing economies.
However, the synergies are very few. Except for developing the Icon e: budget commuter scooter for some markets from the Chinese market U-be+, no other hand-offs have happened. The connectivity suites are different, with Wi-Link for China and RoadSync for every other market.
