Electric scooters are fast becoming a popular means of personal mobility, particularly in Europe and Asia. While the benefits of electric scooters is undeniable, especially for those living in congested urban areas, a lot of these scooters are either very expensive, while the more affordable ones are often devoid of tech features and return lackluster range.

That said, we can’t really expect electric scooters to pack a punch when it comes to performance, so we tend to see manufacturers find their competitive advantage in one of two fields—price or features. On the one hand we have super techie, futuristic scooters like the BMW CE-04, which undoubtedly command a premium. On the other hand, we have ultra affordable barebones scooters like Honda’s recently launched U-GO, which offers a no-frills commuter experience, similar to that of A1-compliant 125cc machines.

Honda Unveils Affordable U-GO Electric Scooter

The Honda U-GO electric scooter, initially launched in China, sports a minimalist design and user-friendly features. It gets a 1.2kW electric hub motor with a max power output of 1.8kW—that’s around 2.4 horsepower. As such, it isn’t exactly a ripper, but rather a slow and steady errand-runner with a top speed of just 53 kilometers per hour—a speed which some talented bicyclists can sustain through pedal power alone.

The Honda U-GO gets a removable lithium-ion battery pack. Whether this battery pack is an iteration of Honda’s Mobile Power Pack which the company has been developing in recent months isn’t certain. However, it carries a maximum capacity of 1.44 kWh, with an optional upgrade that effectively doubles its capacity.

Perhaps the strongest selling feature of the Honda U-GO electric scooter is its price. Launched at just CNY 7,499, or the equivalent of $1,150 USD, it’s one of the most affordable electric scooters to come from a world-renowned manufacturer. While this scooter is currently only available in the Chinese market, there’s a good chance that Honda will launch this affordable scooter in other parts of Asia, as well as Europe, as this scooter could make for a viable option in the entry-level A1-compliant segment.

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