Honda’s new small electric urban scooter is arriving in French dealerships. But the Japanese manufacturer only offers it for long-term rental.
On paper, Honda’s new electric scooter has some arguments to please. So no, the first one isn’t his name because quite frankly, it’s impossible to pronounce. And not much easier to remember. EM1 e:. With the » : » in the text. Why keep it simple… you know the expression!
No, the Honda EM1 e: already pleases because it is electric. That this 50 cc equivalent is made for city driving. That in its modern appearance it appears relatively compact. And it has a removable battery that you can recharge at home. Even if, in this case, it is also a disadvantage, but we will come back to that later.
All that remained was to wait for the price here of the one which had been seen for the first time at the EICMA show in Milan at the end of 2022. And in fact, it is arriving in French dealerships. But be careful, because it is not to buy… but to rent!
For the price of a Navigo pass, or almost
The Honda EM1 e electric scooter: is in fact offered at a price of 79 euros per month, for long-term rental. An LLD which extends over 37 months and provides for a maximum of 12,000 km, with no possibility of buying it back at the end. In detail, the total cost comes to 2918.30 euros (rent at precisely 78.90 euros), and includes the battery and charger.
On the one hand it’s not very expensive with a scooter which costs you the price of a monthly public transport pass. But on the other, you won’t own the scooter in the end.
Honda EM1 e: / Credit: Honda
Honda EM1 e: / Credit: Honda
Honda EM1 e: / Credit: Honda
In reality, we knew that Honda would only offer this scooter for rental, the Japanese manufacturer justifying this choice by the desire to remain in control of the issue of battery recycling. Either.
However, speaking of the battery, this Honda EM1 e: has another disadvantage. It is removable, as we have said, and it is rather practical. Only, instead of a classic charger as is done most of the time, there is a need for an imposing base into which the 10.3 kilo battery is inserted to regain autonomy (from 0 to 100% in 6 hours). Not ideal.
Our test of the Honda EM1 e: to reread!
As a reminder, the Honda EM1 e: delivers a peak power of 1.7 kW. With its limited weight of 95 kilos, it allows you to accelerate energetically to reach a top speed of 45 km/h. The range of this battery does not exceed 48 km in Eco mode, and 30 km in the WMTC cycle.
To discover our first impressions of this Honda EM1 e:, our full test can be read here!