EV vs Petrol Scooter: TVS iQube Electric vs Honda Activa 6G

The recently updated TVS iQube Electric is now more feature-rich and easier to live with. But for someone looking to buy a scooter, are the updates enough to make them consider the EV or do ICE still have the upper hand? To find that out, we pit TVS’ only e-scooter with India’s best-selling scooter, the Honda Activa 6G.

 Motor

While the range of the iQube Electric may be concerning or even disappointing for a few, considering the current charging infrastructure, these products go neck-to-neck when it comes to performance. But thanks to the instant torque offered by an electric motor, the iQube is likely to be quicker off the line and better at overtaking than the Activa, at least on paper.

Underpinnings

Here, the TVS iQube Electric clearly takes the cake. Its 220mm disc brake should be more effective than the drum unit on the Activa. Honda doesn’t offer a disc brake, even as an option. Furthermore, with 12-inch wheels at both ends, the iQube’s stability and ride quality would be better than the Honda’s scooter, at least theoretically.

Features

While the Activa’s lower torque is slightly compensated for by the 14kg weight difference. Another thing that favours the Honda is the shorter wheelbase, which should make it more nimble and easier to maneuver through the traffic. While the ground clearance of both the scooters is decent, the Activa’s extra 5mm clearance is advantageous over larger bumps.

Price And Verdict

The TVS iQube Electric is more expensive than the Honda Activa by a fair margin. And while the lower running cost and the exhaustive list of features definitely make the iQube Electric an alluring proposition, the range anxiety and lack of charging infrastructure are major concerns. And that’s exactly the Activa 6G’s strong suit. There’s no range anxiety, plus along with Honda’s reliability, you get a vast service network too, unlike the iQube, which is limited to less than 50 cities.