How you may personally feel about EVs will vary based on a number of factors. Speaking from personal experience, they seem almost ideal for short-distance commutes in crowded city environments, as long as you have access to reliable charging.
Unfortunately, depending on the combination of where you live (house vs. apartment) and your local area's infrastructure, the seeming innocuousness of the phrase "reliable charging" can take on more stressful tones.
Two other major hurdles for two-wheeled EVs in particular are range (battery tech is getting better, but motorbikes still have much less space for batteries) and cost. If all the other elements to support a switch to two-wheeled electric transportation aren't in place, how many people will be interested in taking the leap?
But Honda, it seems, has a unique proposition for riders who are willing to give its latest electric scooter a try. From August 5, 2024 through August 18, 2024, it's recruiting 500 riders who want to give the EM1 e: electric scooter a try.
If you apply and are chosen to participate, you'll receive an EM1 e: electric scooter, a Honda Mobile Power Pack e:, a charger, and a top box to use for the entirety of the test period. How long is the test period, you might ask? 60 days.
In other words, you'll get to ride Honda's latest electric scooter for approximately two months, and all you'll have to do is be able to safely store it somewhere (home or work), as well as pay for electricity/tolls/any flat tires you might develop during the test period.
What's the catch? There's only one, really. You have to live in Tokyo, Japan to be eligible to participate.
There's a list of other rules that applicants must agree to, including sensible things like what to do if you get into an accident on the EM1 e:, the stipulation in writing that you're not responsible for what happens to the scoot if there's a natural disaster during the loan period, and that you'll give the scooter back to Honda at the end of the campaign. Though there's also an option at the end for you to buy the scooter directly from Honda at the end of the loan period if you happen to fall in love with it.
Anyway, I hope I haven't just broken your heart if you're intrigued by the EM1 e: but aren't currently living in Tokyo. Still, though, how cool is it that one of the biggest OEMs in the world is offering a program like this anywhere? Naturally, Honda is encouraging participants to post about the EM1 e: during the test period on social media, but they don't specify what you can post; just that you post in the first place.
Honestly, if you're already on social media and you got chosen to participate in something like this, you'd probably want to post about it anyway. How could you not?
It's not clear if Honda will undertake any similar campaigns in other markets where it's rolling out the EM1 e:, such as Europe. If and when those Honda subsidiaries make any decisions like that public, we'll be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, if you're in Tokyo and you're a tester for this Honda EM1 e: campaign, please feel free to drop us a line in the comments!
