Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India (HMSI) has become the first Japanese two-wheeler company to enter the electric segment in India. Will Honda’s late entry into the EV market be a disadvantage? We don’t think so, as this sector is still evolving and establishing itself. Can Honda recreate the Activa magic that made scooters popular even among young buyers? The Activa e will face a challenge when it officially reveals its price on January 1, 2025. We compare the new Activa e with the Ather Rizta to determine which offers better value.
Honda Activa e vs Ather Rizta: Battery specifications
The USP of Activa e is the two 1.5 kWh swappable lithium-ion batteries, which Honda believes will be the answer to the eternal question of range anxiety. According to Honda, the Activa e produces 8 bhp with 22 Nm of torque and a top speed of 80 kmph. The Honda electric scooter manages to do zero to 60 kmph in 7.3 seconds. Honda has stated that based on tests, the Activa e will return a range of 102 km in real-world conditions. It comes with three ride modes — Econ, Standard and Sport.Â
The family scooter from Ather Energy, the Rizta, is available in two battery pack options, 2.9 kWh and 3.7 kWh. We will focus on the former trim. With a 2.9 kWh battery pack, the Rizta produces 5.7 bhp and a top speed of 80 kmph. With a claimed range of 123 km, the Ather e-scooter does from zero to 40 kmph in 4.7 seconds and has two ride modes — Zip and SmartEco.Â
Honda Activa e vs Ather Rizta: Features
The Activa e sports a 7-inch TFT screen that has real-time connectivity with the Honda RoadSync Duo app, allowing riders to stay connected. The infotainment system supports navigation with day and night modes which adjust the screen’s brightness automatically. The TFT screen can be controlled by using toggle switches. The Activa e gets H-Smart key that has functions like Smart Find, Smart Safe, Smart Unlock and Smart Start. The new electric scooter has 12-inch alloy wheels with a combination of front disc brakes and drum brakes at the rear. It has all LED lights including DRLs and is available in five colours — Pearl Shallow Blue, Pearl Misty White, Pearl Serenity Blue, Matt Foggy Silver Metallic and Pearl Igneous Black.
The Rizta offers class-leading space with a 34-litre under-seat boot and a frunk with 22 litres. The entry-level variant has a 7-inch display while the top trim gets a 7-inch TFT screen with connectivity options and in-built navigations based on Google Maps. Like the Activa e, the Rizta comes with 12-inch alloy wheels, a brake combination of disc in front and drum at the rear and LED lights. It is available in three monotone colours — Siachen White, Deccan Grey and Pangong Blue and four dual-tone colours.
Honda Activa e vs Ather Rizta: Price
The Ather Rizta 2.9 kWh is available in two variants — the Rizta S at Rs 1.10 lakh and Rizta Z at Rs 1.27 lakh, ex-showroom.
Honda will announce the prices on January 1, 2025, with deliveries starting in February 2025. Initially, the Activa e will be available in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai. The new scooter will come in two variants: Activa e and Activa e: Honda RoadSync Duo.
