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At the end of last year, Honda announced that it was working on three new electric two-wheel vehicles equivalent to its 50 and 125cc models. It was also reported that they would all be on the market in the next three years, along with another more powerful electric motorcycle series. That plan began to be brought to fruition at the Milan Motorcycle Show held mid-November, where the Japanese brand took to the stage to show the world its EM1 e:, an electric two-wheeler that will be available in two different markets, including Europe, by summer 2023. It undoubtedly represents Honda’s first step toward reaching its goal of making its entire motorcycle range carbon neutral before 2050.
The letters “EM” stand for Electric Moped, meaning this Honda vehicle will be marketed in Europe as a moped. Therefore, the model is directed toward young customers that need an easy and fun mode of transportation in the city. The EM1 e: is a compact scooter with a flat platform for the driver’s feet that make driving comfortable and also allows users to carry small objects. It’s marketed as an ideal vehicle for short trips around the city, to work, or to campus, while being fast, efficient, silent, and emission-free. It’s obvious that the EM1 e: has been designed to perfectly adapt to urban mobility of the near future.
Like other mopeds sold in Europe, its maximum speed is set at 40 km/h, and the driving range offered by a full charge of its battery will be over 40 km, according to Honda. The battery is removable so that it can be charged apart from where the bike is parked (inside the home, for example) and also so that it can quickly be replaced with another that’s already charged. It meets Honda’s Mobile Power Pack specifications, for which a consortium was formed with other brands such as Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki as well as the European groups KTM and Piaggio. The main purpose of the association is to find a common standard for supplying and recharging swappable batteries. This agreement is extremely significant for accelerating the development of electric models and facilitating their use. It’s a commitment from major brands to use the same swappable batteries and hopes to make them available at service stations created for this purpose. This way, you wouldn’t have to wait to recharge a battery and could just swap it for another pre-charged one.
So far, Honda hasn’t unveiled any more technical details about its EM1 e:, but we can observe from the photos that the electric motor is located in the hub of the back wheel. We can also see that the brake is based on a front disc and rear drum, and that the rims are 10 inches. The battery is placed below the seat and next to it is a space for carrying small items. A luggage rack is installed on the rear, which is probably very likely able to handle a pannier and thereby increase the EM1 e:’s load capacity. Another interesting detail is that it includes rear footrests, and in some photos appears with both a driver and passenger, so it must be approved for carrying two people.
The EM1 e: is practically a copy of the U-Go model Honda started selling in China mid 2021. So it’s expected to arrive to Europe perfectly evolved. We also know that it has been marketed in two versions in that Asian country, one with a battery that claims a 0.8 kW nominal power and a1.2 kW peak power and another with two batteries that claim a 1.2 kW nominal and 1.8 kW peak power. Another interesting detail of the MPP batteries is that they are long lasting and can be recharged up to 3,000 times. To give an idea of its lightness, the simplest version of the bike weighs just 83 kg. Another detail worth mentioning of the two U-Go versions is that they include a USB outlet and an anti-theft alarm. We also know that in China they were sold at very competitive prices. They cost an equivalent of €985 and €1,050, respectively, meaning the EM1 e:’s European price could also be quite affordable.
