Honda is set to launch as many as 10 new electric two-wheelers globally by 2025. Part of this EV onslaught will be an electric moped with pedal assistance, as is apparent from the images from the European Union Intellectual Property office.
- Honda electric moped styling based on ICE Cub
- Gets pedals and hub mounted motor
The electric moped seems to borrow design cues from the combustion engine Honda Cub, a popular city runabout sold in global markets. That, undoubtedly, is a great reference point for the new Honda electric moped, as it too serves a similar use case of a city scooter. That said, the electric moped is of the lightweight, pedal-assisted type, as is evident in its functional design and a small hub-mounted motor. The battery is likely stored in the floorboard area and the pedal assistance provided by a chain should serve as a means to boost performance and range. The pedal assistance feature, hence, should be quite useful in alleviating some of the range anxiety that comes with electric vehicles.
Other visible design details of the electric moped include split-spoke alloy wheels, shod with thin tyres, a small hydraulic disc at the front, and a drum brake incorporated into the hub-mounted motor. This motor is likely to be a low-speed one, with a focus on point-to-point urban mobility rather than performance. The top speed of such EVs is around 25kph, which not only makes them viable in countries like China but also in India. This is especially true as they need not be registered and don’t require a license to ride.
The battery pack, which could be a swappable unit, is called the Honda Mobile Power Pack or (MPP).
In all, Honda’s electric moped seems interesting and it surely has the mass market in its crosshair. What the production-spec moped will turn out to be and what will be its pricing is something we’ll know in due course.