HATASU NERO and the Honda EM1 e:
A few months back, our friends from HATSASU provided us with a loaner e-bike for our errands: the NERO. So we pretty much used it for every errand we can think of, like buying stuff from the palengke (market), using it as a pit bike at this year’s BOSS Ironman Motorcycle Challenge start and end point; and riding it around Metro Manila when attending motorcycle-related events.
We had a lot of fun riding the NERO – it’s smaller than a scooter, it can bring us from point A to point B, we can use the bike lanes, we never really had to spend for a gasoline refill, and we park for FREE.
So, when Honda PH introduced the EM1 e: e-bike last week, which is the Japanese company’s first official electric two-wheel mobility offering for the Filipinos, we immediately noticed that it has almost the same offerings as with the NERO we tested not too long ago.
HATASU NERO
Like many e-bikes, the HATASU NERO’s top speed is capped at less than 50 kilometers per hour so that a driver’s license and registration will not be required. Power comes from a 48-volt, 20ah lead-acid battery (to keep prices low) that is coupled with the NERO’s 400 W hub motor.
On paper, the NERO has a range of up to 55 kilometers in one full charge. Our experience, however, we were able to ride the NERO to and from BGC, which is approximately 26 kilometers one-way, without recharging and has 2 bars (battery charge) left to spare.
Other features include a full-LED lighting, a digital screen, 10-inch alloy wheels, pillion seat, and remote key. Charging time from 0% to 100% is 8 hours. SRP is PHP 28,990.
Honda EM1 e:
The EM1 e: is Honda’s first e-bike model that it will offer to Filipinos. It boasts a 50.3-volt, 26.1ah Honda Mobile Power Pack (HMPP) easy-to-remove Lithium-ion battery for battery swapping. Like the NERO, the EM1 e: top speed is capped at less than 50 kilometers per hour so that a driver’s license and registration will not be required.
On paper, the EM1 e: has a range of 48 kilometers – in ECON riding mode. In WMTC (World Motorcycle Test Cycle) Class 1 riding conditions, according to Honda, the EM1 e: has a battery range of 30 kilometers.
Like the HATASU NERO, the Honda EM1 e: offers features like alloy wheels, low seat height, full-LED lighting, digital screen, and remote key. Charging time from 0% to 100% is 6 hours using the HMPP-specific charger. SRP is PHP 155,400.
Price difference
Obviously, the PHP 126,410 price difference between the NERO and the EM1 e: is enough to buy you another scooter (and a branded one) with change to spare. Additionally, in the absence of a battery-swapping station, an EM1 e: owner may purchase a separate charging dock from Honda (as an optional power product) worth PHP 18,000, though this e-bike already comes with a charger that can be plugged on a home socket.
The NERO, on the other hand, has a much simpler battery and charging setup.
With both e-bikes having a top speed of less than 50 km/h and battery range of less than 60 kilometers, which one would you choose as your errand bike?
