The Honda CUV e Electric Scooter Kicks It Up a Notch - Adventure Rider

Photo: Honda

Honda has announced its second EV two-wheeled EV offering, the Honda CUV e. CUV stands for “Clean Urban Vehicle.” While it sounds like yet another SUV model, the name actually comes from the CUV ES, an electric scooter that Honda only sold in Japan 30 years ago.

Honda’s EM1 e, introduced in 2022, was a good proof of concept but not practical in the real world. With a top speed of about 30 mph and a range of 18.6 to 30 miles, it doesn’t work well beyond inner cities, near charging stations or a battery quick-swap station. The CUV e, on the other hand, claims a top speed of about 50 mph and a range of more than 43 miles. That’s still no touring bike, but it’s a significant improvement.

Photo: Honda

It achieves this using a pair of Honda Mobile Power Pack e batteries. Like the EM1 e, these are easily removable to charge inside your home or office. Honda now says these batteries will recharge to 75 percent in three hours (more than just under 2.5 hours as previously claimed) and to 100 percent in six hours. That’s still a bit of a wait for not a huge amount of range, but that’s where the ability to swap them out for charged batteries can come in handy. Such services are already popular in Asia, and Honda has partnered with GoCimo for a one-year test run of such a service in Malmö, Sweden, starting in February 2025. The two companies will also evaluate the potential for a long-term partnership in the European market during this time. Home charging is great, but battery swapping is the best way to make EVs as convenient to refuel as gas-powered vehicles.

Photo: Honda

The Honda CUV e is equipped with a six kW motor, equivalent to about eight horsepower. Honda compares it to a 125 cc scooter, which is accurate as Honda’s own Trail 125 makes nine horsepower. What it doesn’t have, though, is the instant-on torque and smooth acceleration that only an EV can provide. Honda also claims that the CUV e can climb a 13-degree gradient from a standing start with a pillion and 30kg of luggage. Three ride modes are available. While Sport mode in a scooter may seem ridiculous, it’s appropriate here, as it unleashes the full acceleration potential. Standard mode is what you’d expect, and Econ mode provides the maximum range.

Photo: Honda

The CUV e will be available with either a five-inch TFT display or a seven-inch display incorporating Honda RoadSync Duo. This is the only way to connect a smartphone to the CUV e, but also provides the added benefit of navigation optimized for EVs, providing optimum route guidance and verification that the intended journey is possible at the current state of charge. This is supposed to reduce range anxiety, but it would probably only increase mine, especially if I was pushing my range limits and the navigation tried to take me down a closed road or one that doesn’t exist. I’d be far more interested in having help finding compatible charging stations, or battery swap stations once they’re available.

Photo: Honda

At least Honda has brought us an electric scooter whose range and performance match those of existing gas models. They are also working hard to make keeping the CUV e charged as simple as possible. There’s no word yet on a price or whether it will be available in North America.