Patents for Honda’s EV-Cub have just gone public – all but confirming we’re going to see an electric version of the Japanese factory’s iconic Super Cub in the not too distant future.

First shown as a prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show back in 2015, patents for the EV-Cub were originally filed in 2016 – but now they’ve been made public. The scooter detailed in the designs looks nearly identical to the recently revitalised Super Cub which was released a couple of years ago, aside from one obvious difference; its electric motor.

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So what do the patents reveal? Well firstly, Honda’s kept the machines centre of gravity low by placing the battery between the footpegs – essentially, where the engine would usually be.

Interestingly, the patents also detail a clever mechanism which allows the battery to be easily removed. That means Honda’s imagining a future where riders can head to a battery exchange and simply swap out the depleted unit for one that’s fully charged.

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It’s not exactly a surprise – at the end of this year we revealed that Honda was working on rolling out infrastructure across Japan, to accommodate its Benly-E and Gyro-E scooters.

https://www.morebikes.co.uk/news/63097/hondas-getting-serious-about-electric-benly-e-and-gyro-e-unveiled-at-tokyo-and-its-rolling-out-charging-infrastructure-across-japan-in-time-for-march-2020/

Of course, there’s no talk of a similar setup in the UK just yet – but if Honda’s idea proves a success at home, maybe they’ll start looking at rolling out to the wider world. Either way, it’s clear that Honda’s starting to get serious about electric; at least from an urban mobility perspective.

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Ross Mowbray

MoreBikes Editor at Mortons Media Group Ltd.

Ross is the editor of MoreBikes (and On2Wheels) - and writes for Motorcycle Sport & Leisure and Classic Bike Guide magazine too. He started off doing laps of his parents’ garden on a Puch 50 scrambler at the tender age of 5, ruining the grass and crashing into bushes. Not much has changed since. He doesn’t discriminate; taking as much pleasure from bombing around town on little mopeds as he does crossing continents on big adventure bikes.
Editor@MoreBikes.co.uk | 01507 529529