2023 Honda EM1 e:

Honda’s new EM1 e: scooter is a part of the corporate’s plans to launch 10 new electrical fashions within the subsequent couple of years. (Honda/)

Honda unveiled its first European-market electrical scooter at EICMA earlier this month within the type of the EM1 e:, and whereas detailed specs have but to be introduced it’d transform unexpectedly cheap.

Why? As a result of the EM1 e: (sure, the colon after the ultimate “e” is a part of the identify) relies on an current scooter made in China by the Wuyang-Honda three way partnership. Over there, it’s referred to as the U-Go, however other than the stickers on the facet, the 2 machines are all however indistinguishable from the surface.

There are, nonetheless, technical variations. Most notably, the EM1 e: options Honda’s Cell Energy Pack e: swappable battery, already utilized in some Japanese-market fashions and supposed to be the constructing brick of a battery-swap infrastructure that can prolong throughout a number of Hondas and maybe even different manufacturers. Honda is a part of two consortia of producers establishing a standardized swappable bike battery. The Japanese consortium consists of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, whereas the European model’s members embrace Piaggio, Yamaha, KTM, and Honda. As such, the MPP e: battery is properly positioned to be the premise of a swappable normal used throughout all these firms sooner or later.

A view contained in the battery compartment. (Honda/)

In distinction, the Chinese language Wuyang-Honda U-Go has a unique battery design, though nonetheless swappable and with the same capability: 48V and 30Ah for the Chinese language scooter, after which 50.26V and 26.1Ah for the MPP e:. For the European market EM1 e:, Honda is claiming a spread of “greater than 40 kilometers” (that’s solely 25 miles), whereas the U-Go has a quoted vary of as much as 65 kilometers (40 miles) with a single battery, or double that distance when two batteries are fitted. It’s not recognized whether or not there will probably be a dual-battery possibility for the EM1 e:.

A view of the battery subsequent to the scooter for scale. (Honda/)

The electrical motor used on the EM1 e: seems equivalent to the U-Go’s, a hub-mounted unit that within the Chinese language bike is rated at 1,200W (1.6 hp), with a peak of 1,800W (2.4 hp). That’s not so much, admittedly, however sufficient for a prime velocity of 33 mph. In Europe, the EM1 e: is anticipated to function within the moped class, restricted to a prime velocity of 28 mph by legislation. Different specs which might be more likely to be comparable between the EM1 e: and U-Go embrace the burden, with the Chinese language bike weighing in at 183 kilos together with battery. The bodily dimensions, a size of 67.7 inches, a width of 26.8 inches, and a top of 42.5 inches, are additionally more likely to be unchanged.

Nevertheless, maybe essentially the most intriguing quantity hooked up to the Chinese language-market Wuyang-Honda U-Go is its value; it prices the equal of $1,050. Remarkably, it’s the most costly of a spread of electrical scooters/bikes that the agency provides there, with essentially the most inexpensive beginning on the equal of simply $500. Inevitably, the EM1 e: with its extra subtle MPP e: battery will probably be costlier, however given the big variety of parts it shares with the U-Go it could be cheaper than you’d count on for a Honda-branded electrical scooter.

That is simply the beginning of Honda’s plan to launch a minimum of 10 new electrical bikes globally by 2025. The EM1 e: is because of attain manufacturing in mid-2023, so full particulars and specs will come quickly, however the machine will goal Europe, Asia, Japan, and China. Over the next yr or so, Honda will launch further electrical bikes together with three considerably higher-performance electrical bikes which will certainly come to the US market in 2024 to 2025.