Earlier in 2022, Honda had said that it would launch a minimum of 10 electric two-wheelers by 2025. This means a minimum of two new launches per year. Honda showcased the first of the lot for the European clients at the 2022 EICMA show in Italy.
Honda has showcased the first electric two-wheeler for the European markets. The EM in the name stands for Electric Moped. This is not the first electric scooter from Honda. They also have the Benly e:, Gyro e: and the Gyro Canopy e:. All these have swappable batteries.
The range of the scooter is 40 km, and its top speed will be limited to 50 km/h. This figure is very low on paper, but Honda is planning battery swapping stations in markets where the scooter is launched. Further, the removable batteries can also be taken inside offices, homes etc., for charging purposes, and the scooters need not have a dedicated charging place.
That said, the biggest challenge to the success of this scooter would be the ease of use of battery swapping stations. The EM1 e: looks inspired by the Honda U-Go e-scooter. The overall design elements, and the underpinnings all look borrowed from the U-Go.
Honda still needs to release full details about the scooter as well.
While there is a significant demand for electric two-wheelers in India, it appears that the EM1 e: won’t make it to our shores any time soon. It is apparent that Honda will be developing an all-new product for South Asian countries, and that is something which could be launched in India.
However, the technology used in this bike is the same as that on the Benly e: scooter, which has been spotted testing in India.
Also Read – Honda Testing BENLY E Electric Scooter in India