Honda E-VO electric bike hints at the future
By Ben Purvis
Many years' worth of bold proclamations around the future extent of electrification in motorcycling have left major brands like Honda facing self-imposed deadlines for the numbers of battery-powered bikes in their lineups - but sales figures in Western markets show that customers are still far from ready to make the switch. That's not helped by the simple fact that most of today's EV motorcycles are more expensive and less capable than the combustion engine models they aim to replace.
However, the new E-VO revealed in China by the Wuyang-Honda joint venture appears to come closer than most electric bikes to matching its conventionally-fuelled peers, and throws in a bunch of futuristic tech to sweeten the deal.
It's the first Honda-badged production electric motorcycle (rather than scooter) to reach showrooms, but the figures show it's not going to be tempting superbike customers away from internal combustion yet. Under its full-faired skin there's an electric motor that's rated at 8 kW, or 10.7 hp, which would allow it to fall easily into the 12 5cc learner-legal class in Europe.
Like most electric bikes, though, that power rating relates to 'continuous' output rather than its absolute peak, which is nearly twice as high at 15.8 kW (21.2 hp), giving it more performance than a conventional 12 5cc learner bike. Top speed is 120 km/h (75 mph) and Honda says the bike accelerates from 0-50 km/h in 2.8 seconds, more than fast enough to get away from most cars at the traffic lights in town. The range? 170 km (105 miles) between recharges.
Those figures relate to the highest-spec version of the bike, which uses three 74 V, 28A h batteries. A cheaper version with just two batteries is also available with a 110 km/h (68 mph) top speed and 120 km (75 mile) range. The batteries are not swappable, but the bike can use high powered AC chargers of the sort that many electric car owners have fitted at home, allowing the three-battery version to top up from 20% to 80% charge in 1.5 hours.
The bike's construction includes a cast aluminium chassis, with two batteries mounted low in the belly and a third - in the most expensive version - above them. The motor is behind, driving through a single-speed reduction transmission to the front sprocket. Despite its conventional-looking proportions, the E-VO is a little smaller than a typical bike, with a 16-inch front and 14-inch rear wheel instead of the usual 17-inchers at each end.
While the upside-down forks, radial brakes and rear monoshock are much the same as any conventional bike in the class, the E-VO gets some surprising tech including front and rear cameras on the highest spec version (the cheaper model only has a front camera), with the ability to display the view from the rear camera on the TFT dashboard while riding, like a third mirror.
The system is also compatible with DJI action cameras, allowing you to control additional cameras via a purpose-made, backlit, knurled knob on the left bar. Starting the bike doesn't require anything as neanderthal as a key, instead using a swipe card that just needs to be waved near it. You can also use your phone as the key if you prefer.
Price is, of course, the key to success or failure in the EV market, and in China the top-spec, three-battery version of the E-VO comes in at the equivalent of around € 4400/$5000. Exports seem likely eventually, as the existing Wuyang-Honda U-Go electric scooter evolved into the Honda EM1 e: that's now sold around the world, but if the E-VO makes it out of China, the prices on export markets are likely to be significantly higher than in its homeland.
Updated CB125F for 2026
While Honda's E-VO might be the learner bike of the future the company isn't forgetting its existing range in that segment - updating the CB125F for 2026 to bring modern tech to its entry-level 125.
Changes include a new 4.2-inch colour TFT dashboard, complete with phone connectivity and a USB-C port, as well as a Euro5+ compliant engine that adds idle-stop tech for the first time on a Honda with a manual transmission. The idle-stop system automatically cuts the engine when you come to a halt, restarting it as you release the clutch to pull away again, and should not only improve emissions but add to the CB125F's already impressive fuel economy.
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