Vida V2 Pro vs Activa e:: Hero and Honda At War Now

Hero Moto Corp and Honda two-wheelers used to have an iconic joint venture in India, known as Hero Honda. This JV created the legendary motorcycle, the Lord Splendor. However, for the betterment of both brands, Hero became independent in 2011 by purchasing Honda’s 26 per cent stake in Hero Honda. Ever since, the brand has built many new products on its own along with producing legendary motorcycles like Splendor, Glamour, Passion, etc.

As the world moves towards electric mobility, Hero launched their Vida V1 range of scooters in 2022. The Vida on its own has been positioned as a brand and has been doing good in terms of sales and customer satisfaction for the last two years. The brand has now updated the entire lineup for the year 2024 by renaming its products to V2. Vida has also added a new product to the lineup in the form of V2 Lite, which is now the most affordable scooter by the brand. 

Recently, Honda unveiled their first-ever electric scooters for the Indian market, named the Activa e: and QC1. The brand is yet to announce the prices of both these products but they are speculated to most likely be in the same ballpark as the Hero’s Vida e-scooters. This means two former partners are now ready to go head-on-head for the crown of the best-selling electric scooter brand.

So, Hero Honda now evolves into Hero vs Honda!

Vida has launched three V2 scooters: V2 Lite, V2 Plus and V2 Pro. On the other hand, Honda has positioned their QC1 as an entry-level moped. Hence, it is already avoiding any comparison with other scooters in the market. 

Here though, we will be comparing the Honda Activa e: with the Hero’s Vida V2 Pro model and find out which of these two products has the potential to become India’s household electric scooter.

Vida V2 Pro vs Activa e:: Detailed Comparison

Design and features

In terms of appearance, Honda Activa e: is based on the ICE Activa’s platform and it follows a simple and family-friendly design language that has worked well for the brand. This new electric avatar also looks elegant on the Activa e:. On the other hand, the Vida series of scooters have sharp and angular design language, appealing to the youth.

The Honda Activa e: is loaded with features. It gets an LED headlight setup on the lower part of its front apron along with a sleek LED DRL on its front visor. The scooter is equipped with a 7-inch TFT display for instrumentation and it gets features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, call/SMS alerts, Smart Key, Topple Alert, Maintenance Alert and more. 

The Vida V2 Pro also gets a 7-inch TFT display for instrumentation along with features like apron-mounted LED headlamps with integrated DRLs, smartphone connectivity, cruise control, keyless entry and more.

In terms of features onboard, both scooters are loaded to the brim. However, the Vida V2 Pro with its cruise control takes the lead. However, we also understand the limitations on cruise control on an electric scooter with a very limited range is not so useful but it does give bragging rights to Vida V2 Pro owners.

Performance

The Honda Activa e: is powered by an electric motor which is rated to churn out a maximum of 8 hp and 22 Nm. The Vida V2 Pro is rated to produce 8 hp and a slightly higher peak torque of 25 Nm. The claimed top speed for Activa e: is 80 kmph whereas the Vida V2 Pro has a higher top speed of 90 kmph.

The Vida V2 Pro uses a twin removable battery setup with 3.9 kWh capacity which is claimed to provide 165 km of range on a single charge. The Activa e: also uses a removable twin battery setup with a combined capacity of 3 kWh with a claimed range of 102 km. 

Honda Activa e: has two 1.5kWh removable batteries which translates to a total capacity of 3 kWh and the brand claims a riding range of 102 km on a full charge which is significantly lower than the Vida V2 Pro.

Pricing and conclusion 

The Hero Vida V2 Pro is on sale for an ex-showroom price of INR 1.35 lakhs. Honda is yet to announce the pricing for the Activa e:. However, it is expected to be in the same price range as the Vida V2 Pro.

Looking at all the abovementioned details, it is very clear that the Vida V2 Pro is a better scooter as of now. It has more features, a bigger battery hence a longer riding range, higher top speed and a radically modern design which is going to be a head turner. 

Things may take a u-turn in the future if Honda decides to undercut the competition with aggressive pricing, which is very unlikely considering the brand’s history.