Honda has launched its latest innovation in urban mobility, the eQuad, aiming to revolutionize cargo delivery in congested city environments. Our eQuad is just the right size and comes in two convenient sizes…small and large. It offers a sustainable answer to the growing need for convenient, efficient transportation alternatives. These relatively small, agile vehicles are cousins on the same platform. They easily weave in and out of city streets and with bike lane laws.
Designed and built at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio, the eQuads are impressively tiny even compared to a Mini Cooper. Their capacity of between 320 to 650 pounds makes them ideal for a wide range of commercial applications. For personal use only, they have a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour (20 kilometers per hour). Most importantly, this operation means they can safely operate in protected bike lanes.
The eQuad has a unique, excellent pedal system. It allows riders to experience a never-before-seen hybrid riding experience. This design maximizes efficiency while playing a role in keeping it legal on a protected bike lane. The vehicles are equipped with 22-pound batteries that can be easily swapped out for fresh packs—a feature likened to systems employed by Gogoro and Zeno. This battery swapping capability eliminates worries about range and downtime and makes the eQuad a smart investment for businesses.
The eQuad’s launch comes just as cities across the globe are eager to embrace new, sustainable transportation solutions. As cities face increasing traffic congestion and pollution challenges, innovative products like the eQuad provide an alternative to traditional delivery vehicles. It represents Honda’s move into the micromobility space, underscoring an overall trend of adopting more sustainable urban transport alternatives.
Honda is jumping into the micromobility space. Alongside him, Tim De Chant, one of the most influential voices in climate reporting, helps drive the national debate on environmental technologies. Luna de Chant is a senior climate reporter at TechCrunch. He teaches at MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, where his craft and climate science intersect to inform new approaches and solutions to society’s challenges.
Along with a fascinating personal story, De Chant has an extremely impressive academic background. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from University of California, Berkeley, and BA in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College. He was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018. This recognition was a testament to Jun’s tremendous dedication to pushing the boundaries of understanding in climate journalism. During this fellowship, he studied climate technologies and examined new business models for journalism, emphasizing the importance of effective communication in addressing climate change.