Honda Unveils EVE-neo and EVE-Cub Electrics

Honda has published photos of a few battery electric scooters they plan to display in Tokyo next month at the 2009 Annual Tokyo Motor Show. One of the scooters, the EVE-neo, looks close to being production ready but Honda has not mentioned whether it is the all electric bike they plan to sell in 2010. Honda explains the EVE-Neo “achieves clean and tough performance that only an electric-powered scooter can provide.”

The other model, the EVE-Cub, is obviously based on the massively circulated Honda Cub. It is full of great looking one-off (read “expensive”) parts and missing DOT legal turn signals so this one looks to be more of a concept. The electric Cub has all the user-friendly utility of the I.C.E. Honda Cub but features a 2 wheel drive system implemented with two electric hub motors.

While it is exciting to see Honda move closer to a plug-in electric motorcycle they do not look to be challenging the US based electric motorcycle start-ups like Brammo and Zero. The EVE-neo’s closest competitor here in the US will most likely be the Brammo’s electric scooter that is currently in development and other offering from China based companies. Assuming they can prove their quality and start to gain acceptance.

Brammo openly admits they want to do with electric motorcycles what Honda did in the early 60’s with the original Honda Cub. Produce an unintimidating, cool, fun to ride bike that appeals to a very wide audience and creates new riders. It worked for Honda once and it appears they would like to beat Brammo to the punch.

Honda also looks to be incorporating technology that will allow vehicles to communicate information to the user similar to the Brammo Enertia. They are calling this communication system the Honda Electric Mobility Loop and it will use a remote called the “LOOP”. The features of this technology will be on display at the HELLO! Zone at the Tokyo show.

Source: Honda via EV Pulse, Picture Gallery: Gizmag