All U Need To Know About The Honda U-be

Honda’s newest electric offering for China is the U-be electric moped. It was launched alongside the U-Go electric scooter, starting at an affordable price of CNY 3,099 (around Rs 35,000). Wondering what this e-moped is all about? Well, you’ve come to the right place:

Funky Looks:

The Honda U-be looks minimalist yet properly modern. It shares its design with the Honda U-Go electric scooter, so it features a similar looking (albeit sleeker) apron. Since it’s a budget e-moped, the U-be manages with a simple exposed handlebar instead of a scooter-like handlebar cowl. While the design ends abruptly at the rear, the overall fit and finish is good enough to lend this single-seater e-moped a unique look. The rear tyre gets a full-length fender for added practicality too.

Feature-packed:

The Honda U-be gets an all-LED lighting system like its e-scooter sibling. It also features a modern LCD instrument cluster that shows the speed, battery voltage, battery level, odometer readings and tell-tale lights. The top-end variant features a smart key and a USB charging port as standard, whereas the mid-spec variant gets just the USB port. To keep the costs competitive, the base model is devoid of both. More about the variants in the forthcoming paragraphs.

Powertrain And Variants:

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The Honda U-be is powered by a 350W permanent magnet hub motor. It is linked to different battery packs in different variants. The base version comes with a 15Ah lithium-ion battery pack offering a claimed range of 55km. On the other hand, the mid-spec variant gets a 20Ah battery pack with 70km range, and the top-end version uses a 24Ah battery pack with a decent 85km range.

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While these range figures sound perfect for everyday commutes, do note that Honda claims these numbers with a 75kg rider cruising at a constant speed of 20kmph. But then, even if you run out of juice, you still have the assurance of pedal power. The claimed top speed is limited to 25kmph.

Decent Underpinnings:

The Honda U-be is built on a steel underbone frame linked to a telescopic front fork and a pair of preload-adjustable rear shock absorbers. The e-moped rolls on 10-inch wheels at both ends, wrapped with 80-section tubeless tyres. While the base variant gets a front drum brake, the other two models feature a petal disc up front, and a drum at the rear.

Honda has made sure the scooter is pretty light too. The base variant tips the scales at just 51kg (kerb), whereas the mid-spec version is 2kg more. The top-end model weighs 54kg (kerb). The 740mm seat coupled with the e-moped’s light weight should make it a breeze to manoeuvre in the city.

Pricing And Launch Details:

Honda has priced the base version of the U-be electric moped at CNY 3,099 (around Rs 35,567), the mid-spec variant at CNY 3,450 (about Rs 39,595), and the top-end variant at CNY 3,750 (approximately Rs 43,039). An interesting point is that even the top-end variant of the U-be costs just as much as a mid-spec premium smartphone!

Nevertheless, Honda is unlikely to bring the electric moped to the Indian market as the general perception is that mopeds are utilitarian. Having said that, we do hope the best-selling moped in India, the TVS XL100 gets an electric avatar in the future, along the lines of the Honda U-be. Wouldn’t that be cool?