Electric mobility may not make sense to everyone, but it certainly makes sense in the confines of the urban jungle. If you put this in the context of a market that’s extremely price-sensitive and wants to make its money go as far as possible, small-capacity EVs make even more sense.
Indeed, this is what Honda’s experimenting with, as it has showcased a bunch of electric scooters and commuters in recent years, with pilot tests done in its home country of Japan, as well as other neighboring Asian countries, surrounding the adoption of its electric two-wheelers.
Interestingly enough, Honda has determined that the Philippine market was ripe enough for it to launch a mass-market electric scooter. Dubbed the EM1 e:, it’s Honda’s first full-electric two-wheeled offering in the Philippine market, and quite frankly, this thing has the potential to be so much more than an e-mobility gimmick.
You see, while the EM1 e: may have a lackluster range of 48 kilometers (30 miles) on a single charge, it features batteries that can easily be swapped in a matter of seconds, effectively eliminating range anxiety, provided you’ve got a spare battery. More specifically, it’s rocking the 26.1 Ah Honda Mobile Power Pack e:, a compact battery pack ergonomically designed to be easily swapped out. It lives under the scooter’s seat, and weighs in at 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds), making it easy for pretty much anyone to lift up and swap out.
Perhaps even better still is that the EM1 e: comes with its own charger dubbed the Honda Power Pack Charger e:, which is compatible with most household sockets and promises a full charge time of six hours. Honda’s also expected to put up battery swapping stations in the near future, but of course, this would all depend on how well-received the EM1 e: will be.
As for the scooter’s performance, well Honda says that it’s similar to a 50cc scooter. It’s powered by a 1.7 kW motor that produces the equivalent of 2.3 ponies and a pretty impressive 90 Nm (66 pound-feet), so don’t expect it to be a pocket rocket, but it’s surely good enough to shuttle you around town in ease and comfort.
Now, if we compare the EM1 e: to its gas-powered counterparts, its price tag of P155,400, or about $2,785 USD, puts it in the same ballpark as some of the most popular scooters in the market. But whether or not the Honda EM1 e: will be able to steal away potential Yamaha NMAX and Honda PCX buyers remains to be seen.
