For those who aren’t the biggest fans of eBikes, electric scooters offer more ‘playful’ designs, without compromising on the same eco-friendly transportation benefits. While not as popular as eBikes, more and more electric scooters have begun popping up, like last month’s new Gogoro release. Now, after over half a decade of development, Honda is ready to jump into the e-vehicle brawl with its own electric scooter deemed the EV-Cub.
Honda’s journey to bring the EV-Cub scooter to market isn’t a recent one. Having showcased an early concept of the vehicle all the way back in 2009, it wasn’t until 2015 that company spoke up about the state of its release. Now a full two years after its brief acknowledgment, Honda has conformed that it will be moving towards production.
Right off the bat, it’s almost impossible not the admire the design of the EV-Cub. The compact form-factor manages to accomplish some slick-looking curves, and with the glossy white finish and chrome accents, creates the perfect mix of present and past design. Hardcore Honda or motorcycle fans may notice some fairly drastic similarities to one of Honda’s bikes from back in the 1950’s. While internally the EV-cub couldn’t possibly be any more different than its predecessor, both vehicles share the same overarching design.
Since the EV-Cub is still in the early stages of its production, details are a little scarce. Plus, the fact that its gone through several iterations over the years doesn’t help. Back in 2009, the scooter was equipped with dual electric motors in both the front and back wheels. Fast-forward to the 2015 incarnation, and Honda has swapped the two-wheel drive system out for a single, more powerful rear-based drive.
This also means that there’s no word on what the top speeds may be, or how far the EV-Cub can go on a single charge. One detail we do know is that Honda’s new scooter will sport a detachable and interchangeable battery system, which should at least help make up for the possibly of a less-than-impressive range. So even if it doesn’t have the most ideal range, you’ll be able to supplement it with additional batteries, or charge on the go.
As of now, we’re too early into the development phase to have an estimated price, but Honda still claims to be on track to release the latest addition to its electric vehicle lineup sometime in 2018. Initially launching in Japan, Honda then plans to release the the scooter in other Asian countries. Sadly, there’s no word if the EV-Cub will ever make its way to the US. Which means that just like with Gogoro’s new scooter, the US will be without either of the slick-looking scooters, at least for now.
We are striving to promote the electrification of commuter models, and we are planning to introduce some new models including an electric scooter in 2018,” Hachigo said. “We are currently working on the research and development of a highly-convenient system for electric commuters, which feature a detachable mobile battery that is easy to replace and/or recharge. We are considering to conduct demonstration testing of this mobile battery in collaboration with the Japan Post Co., Ltd. in Japan.
Source: Asphalt & Rubber
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