R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, SEP 13
Honda Motor Co plans to launch more than 10 electric motorcycle models globally in the next three years, it said on Tuesday, part of the Japanese manufacturer’s aim to achieve carbon neutrality for motorcycles by the 2040s, said Kohei Takeuchi (Director, Executive Vice President and Representative Executive Officer) and Yoshishige Nomura (Managing Officer).
Honda, which dominates the global motorcycle business, faces challenges in shifting to electric, with motorcycles wildly popular in developing economies. The move to electric may mean heavier vehicles and higher prices, it said, raising barriers to entry for developing market consumers.
- The upcoming electric models include EV commuters, electric mopeds and bicycles, as well as what Honda calls “fun” EVs.
- It also plans to sell 3.5 million electric motorcycles annually, or around 15% of total sales, by 2030
Honda is arguably the mightiest two-wheeler manufacturer on the planet, and it fully recognises the importance of sustainable mobility. It has already entered a consortium with the other three big Japanese manufacturers, called Gachaco, Inc., for standardised swappable battery architecture, and is also part of another such arrangement, called the Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium, with KTM, Piaggio and Kawasaki.
Honda said in a release it aims to introduce more than 10 new electric models by 2025 and is targeting annual sales of 1 million electric motorcycles within the next five years. The upcoming electric models include EV commuters, electric mopeds and bicycles, as well as what Honda calls “fun” EVs.
In India, the company has confirmed that it will roll out the flex-fuel models starting 2023. Honda will first launch flex-fuel (E20) models beginning next year, and flex-fuel (E100) models in 2025.
It also plans to sell 3.5 million electric motorcycles annually, or around 15% of total sales, by 2030.
It added it will equip its electric motorcycles with all-solid-state batteries, which are currently under development.
Along with the push to electric, it said it would not end production for internal combustion engines in its motorcycles. Instead, it was working on reducing emissions from engines and introducing models compatible with carbon-neutral fuels such as gasoline-ethanol blends.
