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Honda Reportedly Working On New Electric Scooter For Indian Market After Activa e Underperforms
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is reportedly developing a new electric scooter following the slow market response to its Activa e and QC1 electric scooters. According to an Autocar report, the upcoming model is expected to be developed specifically for the Indian market and will feature a new platform and battery, and will be heavily localised to make it more affordable and competitive.
Honda Developing New Electric Scooter for India
The Japanese Automaker has faced challenges in the Indian electric two-wheeler segment, despite being a dominant force in the ICE category. Established manufacturers such as TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto have gained strong attention and sales from EV consumers with products like the iQube and Chetak.
In addition, EV startups, including Ola Electric and Ather Energy, continue to attract buyers by offering longer range Ev models with better features and more practicality. Compared to its rivals, Honda's current electric scooter lineup offers very limited range and features.
Honda's first electric offering, the Activa e, features a swappable battery system that relies on the company's battery-swapping infrastructure, which is currently limited to a few cities in India. The consumers also need to pay an additional subscription fee to use their Battery as a Service (BaaS) feature.
The scooter's design requires the battery to be placed under the seat. This eliminates under-seat storage, which is a big loss to convenience for daily commuters. In the same EV segment, most of its competitors offer up to 35 litres of under-seat storage.
The QC1, Honda's second electric scooter, features an in-built battery and an onboard home charger, offering better convenience than the Activa e. However, it still lags in terms of range and feature offerings against its rivals. Reports suggest that production of both the QC1 and the Activa e was paused by mid-2025 due to weak sales and low demand.
All these factors have pushed Honda to reassess its EV strategy in India. According to recent reports, the company is now working on a new electric scooter based on its J1H platform, with a potential launch timeline towards the end of 2026. Honda is said to be focusing on higher localisation, improved battery range, and enhanced features and technology to better meet Indian market expectations.
Currently, the Honda Activa e is priced from 1.18 lakh (ex-showroom) and offers a claimed range of up to 102 km. The QC1 is priced at 1.11 lakh (ex-showroom) and delivers a claimed range of 80 km with a top speed of 50 km/h. For this price point, the TVS iQube offers better range and features. But Honda is now refocused and aims to deliver a product better suited to Indian consumers and achieve success similar to their Activa in the ICE segment.
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