Japanese automobile and motorbike giant Honda is making significant inroads into the two-wheeler EV market with its recent products. The Chinese arm of Honda, called Wuyang-Honda has added a new electric scooter to its lineup dubbed U-GO Electric Scooter in the Chinese market.
The U-GO e-scooter comes in two models that are ultra-affordable and purely designed for the urban commute. The two models both reflect a minimalist design and simple features. The standard model has a 1.2kW continuous-rated hub motor with a peak rating of 1.8kW, and a top speed of 53km/h. The second model has a lower power rating of 0.8kW while the top speed peaks at 43 km/h.
Both models come with a removable Lithium-ion battery having a maximum capacity of 1.44kW. This can be doubled when it is upgraded to the bigger battery pack. Both models have an under-seat carriage with a capacity of 26L. The new Honda U-GO electric scooter is presently available in China at a starting price of CNY 7,499 (US$ 1,150) while the standard version with a 1.2kW rating is priced at CNY 7,999 (US$ 1,233). The prices are on the low end of the spectrum. Some of the Chinese models are more than twice as expensive as the U-GO e-scooter.
The e-scooter market is booming in China and India, owing partly to the favourable and incentive-filled business climate in these two countries. We expect Honda to launch the new e-scooters in India at some point. We cannot also rule out future expansion into the lucrative US and European markets.
