Honda Philippines has unveiled the EM1 e: as part of its push for electrification. This year marks its official global rollout of electric motorcycles, as opposed to the launch last year of China-exclusive models like the Zoomer e:, the Cub e:, and the Dax e: (which made their way to the Philippines courtesy of gray-market importers).

Honda has an ambitious goal to sell 4,000,000 electric motorcycles annually by 2030. That’s just technically five years from now since 2024 is already winding down. By 2025, the brand plans to introduce more than 10 models, and by 2030 it intends to have approximately 30 electric models ranging from scooters to big bikes.

But the first official global model is the EM1 e:, and I have to say it’s tough figuring out who it will appeal to besides moneyed, hardcore Honda fans.

If they’re hoping to get regular Honda customers to add this to their stable, that’s going to be a challenge. Honda already sells millions of hyper-efficient and affordable, gasoline-powered, small-displacement bikes ranging from the inexpensive XRM to the PCX160.

The EM1 e: is priced at P155,400. It has a top speed of 45km/h and a range of 48km from a 26.1Ah, 50.26V lithium-ion battery and a 1.7kW electric motor.

For many erstwhile buyers accustomed to thinking in terms of horsepower, that converts to just 1.3hp. In fairness, the Honda Dax e: we reviewed last year uses a 400W motor—less than a third of the EM 1e:’s—and it wasn’t that slow. Well, yeah, it was, but it had character and was beginner-friendly for only P82,000.

The EM1 e: does generate 90Nm of torque at just 25rpm, so it can theoretically motor up steep ramps with relative ease. But it has some very stiff competition in our market, and these have had a head start in convincing buyers to shift to electric.

The Sulong Pop has a 1.5kW motor with a 3kW peak output, a longer range of 85km, and a price of only P79,000. Segway’s E110L has a 1.8kW motor, a range of 110km, and is still cheaper than the Honda being only P125,000.

The Zeeho AE8 costs P209,900 but packs a 12.5kW motor, goes 190km on a single charge, and boasts disc brakes with Brembo calipers. It’s pricier, yeah, but it looks like a bargain for all that performance.

There are a couple of other brands in the e-bike market like NWOW, Gogoro, and Horwin, but the Honda comes in woefully underpowered and underspecced for the price.

The EM1 e: has a removable battery like Segway’s, but the limited range means you’ll really have to bring it with you whenever you go to work in order to charge it. And it’s not as easy as plugging in your smartphone either.

The battery weighs 10.2kg, so good luck hauling that bad boy from the parking lot into crowded elevators and into your office on a daily basis. Competitors have significantly longer ranges, which means you have to charge so often.

And unlike Gogoro’s swappable battery scheme—which lets owners swap batteries at GoStations to save on time (albeit paying a hefty monthly fee for the convenience)—Honda has no plans yet for such a system. Imagine hauling a battery into a café and hoping that management will let you plug it in. Nope.

So, I don’t know who would find the appeal in the EM1 e:. It’s not existing scooter owners who already enjoy the convenience of filling up at any gas station, and are already getting good fuel efficiency from their bikes—Honda or otherwise.

Neither will it be converts to the electric movement because a cursory scan of one’s options will reveal a good number of other models that offer better value for money.

But like Honda said, the EM1 e: is just the first phase of its big electrification push. It’s a very conservative attempt, but I hope succeeding models will bring more to the table.

Plenty of people really love the Honda brand, but I suspect they’d also want a real advantage other than the badge to justify the premium.