Honda Activa Lovato CNG vs Hero Electric Photon: Comparison Test

Even though there is no shortage of options, spotting an electric scooter is like spotting a unicorn. Electric scooters available in India have always been soft in focus, as though they were precursors to greater things.

Even though there is no shortage of options, spotting an electric scooter is like spotting a unicorn. Electric scooters available in India have always been soft in focus, as though they were precursors to greater things. But even after a decade, there seems to be no real advancement and they still suffer from the same shortcomings like limited range, performance and painfully long charging time. Now though, all tree-huggers have a new way of expressing their love and concern for nature.

Lovato and Mahangar Gas Limited (MGL) recently launched CNG conversion kits for scooters in Mumbai. Compatible with 18 different scooters, these might prove to be the ideal progression for someone wanting to reduce their carbon footprint or just find an economical mode of mobility. On paper, these kits seem promising on both performance and efficiency fronts, but how does a CNG-powered scooter stack up against an electric scooter? We decided to find out by pitting a CNG-powered Honda Activa 3G against the Hero Electric Photon, the most powerful electric scooter that you can lay your hands on in India.

You can spot them every once in a while, the electric scooters, ambling along all by themselves, unperturbed by the hustle and bustle of the traffic around them. Well, this is not because of the calm and nonchalant nature of those who ride them, but more due to the lack of an option. The Hero Electric Photon might be promoted as a ‘high-speed e-bike’, but you can straightway remove notions of it being anything close to an Energica Ego.

Nevertheless, the lack of power is not an issue in traffic clogged cities like Mumbai. Off the mark, the torquey electric motor launches enthusiastically before reaching the electronically governed top speed of 45kmph. In the confines of congested traffic, the Photon was easily able to filter through gaps and the lack of speed was never an issue. On less congested roads, simply staying in the left lane often allowed faster traffic to go around. However, my route home involves a couple of flyovers which took away performance and considerable juice from the battery. The front disc brake feels wooden, but has more than enough stopping power for the kind of speeds the Photon is meant to do.

But once you hop on to the Honda Activa CNG, it is a different ball game altogether. Of course, there is a noticeable drop in performance and refinement compared to the petrol mode, but not enough to deter you from riding one. The drop in performance can also be attributed to the additional 14 kilograms of weight it has to lug around.

The two CNG cylinders with a combined capacity of 1.4kg are mounted behind the apron, and the additional weight also robs the Activa CNG of some of its agility. There is an initial hesitation when you try to turn, before the scooter suddenly drops into the corner. This behaviour can be very unnerving while filtering through traffic, though you get used to it. Nevertheless, riding the Activa CNG didn’t feel like a compromise at all, though the same cannot be said about the Photon.