Honda Activa e Review: The Future Is Here With First-Gen Issues

Published: Monday, March 24, 2025, 14:00 [IST]

Last November, after years of speculation, Honda finally took the covers of two electric scooters for the Indian market - the Honda Activa e and the QC1. By dropping the Activa name on its flagship offering, Honda showed off its intent to bank on that iconic scooter nameplate to get its EV revolution rolling.

Honda then at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 (Auto Expo 2025) gave the price tag for this electric Activa for the masses, with the Activa e starting at an introductory price of Rs 1.17 lakh for the base variant and Rs 1.52 lakh for the RoadSync Duo version with all the bells and whistles.

Now, over two months since the Honda Activa e was launched onto the streets of Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, we got to ride the new electric Activa on the streets of the garden city. Here are our thoughts after a few hours in the saddle of the Honda Activa e.

Honda Activa e Review: Design & Features - Feature Packed At A Price

The new Honda Activa e is in essence the Activa of the future. Its design sure looks like something a minimalist-inspired Activa from the not so distant future could look like with its smooth body panels that are devoid of any major cuts and creases.

The front end of the Honda Activa e looks sharp with the angular DRL sitting up above while the actual LED headlight and front indicators sit down low on the front apron. Underneath this is a body-coloured front fender, the telescopic front suspension and the 12-inch diamond-cut alloy wheel.

From the sides, the major design highlights other than the diamond-cut alloy wheels are the flush side panels with the Activa e badging next to the rear lights, the flush footrests for the pillion, the dual-tone seat and the single piece grabhandle at the rear. The rear suspension is integrated with the swingarm-mounted electric motor while at the back, the LED lighting setup really amps up the futuristic looks of the Activa e. The Activa e is offered in five colour options - Pearl Shallow Blue, Pearl Serenity Blue, Pearl Misty White, Matt Foggy Silver Metallic, and Pearl Igneous Black.

The top-spec Honda Activa e gets a large 7-inch colour LCD (the base variant makes do with a 5-inch unit) that can be controlled by a joystick and buttons on the left-side switchgear.The screen also supports Bluetooth connectivity allowing for turn-by-turn navigation (with Swapping Station Locations built in), and call and SMS alerts along with geofencing and other features that are enabled with the help of Honda's RoadSync Duo app. And while the day and night modes are fine, we wish this was a higher resolution panel. The top-spec model also gets Honda's Smart Key setup which allows you to find, unlock or secure and start your Activa e remotely.

It is when it comes to practicality, that the Honda Activa e really deviates from its ICE siblings. The front apron features two small storage spaces which you can stick your phone into and not much else and there is also a USB-C charging port and a luggage hook. Pop the seat open and all you find is removable batteries and a tiny storage space which already hosts the toolkit and can maybe hold a small water bottle. If you're on the hunt for a practical electric scooter, look away.

Honda Activa e Review: Motor & Mechanical Bits - The Silent Swap Machine

The Honda Activa e is powered by two removable and swappable 1.5kWh battery packs that sit under the seat (robbing you of any usable space). Honda claims that the Activa e will deliver a range of 102km on a single charge in ideal conditions. While we appreciate the fact that battery swapping is a heck of a lot faster than charging up the battery (despite the extra subscription cost), the packs are slightly on the heavy side and cannot be charged at home. We're pretty sure that is a blunder that can be addressed with a home charging solution that mimics the charging setup used by the swap stations.

Anyway, the battery packs power a swingarm-mounted electric motor pushing out a peak power output of 6kW (8.04bhp) which is around the same as the Activa 110 and 22Nm of peak torque. Honda claims that the Activa e will do the 0-60km/h sprint in 7.3 seconds and continue onward to a top speed of 80km/h. There are three riding modes on offer - Econ, Standard and Sport along with a reverse mode that helps make getting out of parking spots a breeze.

Honda has fitted the Activa e with a telescopic fork at the front while the rear features a 3-step adjustable spring loaded hydraulic monoshock setup. The Activa e rides on 12-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels fitted with 90/90 (front) and 110/80 (rear) tyres. Braking duties are handled by a 160mm disc (drum for the base variant) and a 130mm drum at the rear.

The Honda Activa e is 1,854mm long, 700mm wide and 1,125 tall and features a 1,310mm long wheelbase. The Activa e tips the scales at 119kg (118kg for the base drum variant), offers 171mm of ground clearance and a 675mm long seat. Honda offers a 3-years/ 50,000km (whichever comes first) warranty for the Activa e.

Honda Activa e Review: Riding Impressions - The Future But Could Be A Lot Better

On the move, the Activa e mimics its ICE siblings quite well. It offers an unhurried yet smooth riding experience in the Standard riding mode. Sport mode on the Activa e is the punchiest of the riding modes on offer but drains the batteries rather quickly while Econ is for those who think riding an EV is the way to save the planet and can live with the frankly snoozy response or if you're running really low on charge.

In our mixed usage (riding around in all three modes) during our ride in Bangalore, the Activa e's battery packs drained rather quickly and we would suggest that you hit swap points every 70-75km to make the setup work for you. And while the swapping process is without hassle, the battery packs do weigh about 10-15 kilos and if you have to push or pull one out of a slot that sits a bit too high, we suggest you do it slowly and smoothly, lest you want to wonder why your back is aching all of a sudden.

The Activa e's seat is rather comfortable and more than long enough to allow two people to ride the scooter with ease even if the person at the rear has some extra luggage as well. The seat is low enough to allow the regular Indian rider to plant their feet on the ground with ease. The seat is well padded and comfortable but it would have been even better if the Activa e's suspension setup was a little less stiff at low traffic-packed speeds. The Activa e's brakes work rather well and the 12-inch wheels add to the stable nature of the electric Activa on our streets.

The display is easy to use with the joystick and buttons and offers quite a bit of detail when needed. However, using the switchgear both for the display and starting the scooter itself is something you will have to get used to, which is the case when you use something that is brand new to the market.

Honda Activa e Review: Verdict & Final Thoughts - The Future Is Here With All The First-Gen Teething Problems

The Honda Activa e sees the Japanese marque put the iconic Activa nameplate on an electric scooter. The Honda Activa e looks like an Activa from the future and while it rides as well as every other Activa on our roads today. However, it has quite a few drawbacks that make us wonder if we should wait for the next version of this electric Activa as the lack of storage and the inability to charge the Honda Activa e at home feel like big compromises. However, if you are a Honda fan and have been waiting for ages for the electric Activa, we suggest you go for it but ensure that you have a few swap stations on your favourite city routes.