Honda CUV e: review: A Japanese-style cuvée, good even without soda?

The Honda CUV e: electric scooter presents a mixed bag of innovative features and practical limitations, making its value proposition questionable for the average consumer.

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Egyszerű felépítése dacára a stabil futómű hamar bizalmat ébreszt a pilótában, a jó néhány riválisból ismert villanymotor-zúgás sem útitársunk, viszont a keresztbordákon és kátyúkon kellemetlenül dobál.

While the scooter boasts a stable chassis and a quiet electric motor, its ride quality suffers on uneven surfaces, with the suspension struggling over crosswalks and potholes. The 12-inch wheels, with front disc brakes and a combined braking system (CBS), offer decent stopping power, but the lack of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) option is a drawback. The scooter's top speed is electronically limited to 95 km/h, which, combined with a rapidly depleting battery range, restricts its usability outside urban areas.

Honda claims a range of 70 km, but real-world testing shows it to be closer to 50-60 km. This necessitates frequent charging of the two 10kg batteries, each with a capacity of 1.31 kW. Removing and docking these batteries for charging is cumbersome, and a full charge from empty takes six hours per battery using a 230-volt dock. The company's concept of public battery-swapping stations is currently limited to certain regions in Asia.

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Valós körülmények közt az ígért 70 helyett inkább 50-60 kilométert lehet megtenni vele, amit némi tervezéssel elegendő ugyan, ám a töltéshez mindig ki kell venni és a hangosan zúgó dokkolóba kell helyezni a 10-10 kilós akkukat.

An integrated onboard charger, similar to those found on NIU scooters, would significantly improve the CUV e:'s practicality. This would allow for easier charging via a standard outlet while parked, eliminating the need to remove the batteries. However, as it stands, the scooter's price of 1.96 million forints (approximately $5,500 USD) makes it a difficult sell, especially when compared to the gasoline-powered PCX, which is about 700,000 forints cheaper and offers a more conventional and potentially more practical ownership experience.

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Kifinomult és kevésbé átgondolt megoldások egyaránt jellemzik tehát a villany-Hondát, melynek 1,96 millió forintos ára aligha lesz széles tömegeknek vonzó ajánlat a 700 ezerrel olcsóbb PCX-hez képest.