Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) will start its EV journey as the company will unveil its plans for the electric two-wheeler segment on March 29, 2023. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Honda Shine 100 launch, the company confirmed the development but didn’t elaborate on what the announcement would include.
Honda Two Wheelers India previously announced its electrification plans, with the first electric scooter arriving by March 2024. HMSI President and CEO Atsushi Ogata, MD, confirmed the progress during the launch of the Activa 6G H-Smart earlier this year. The company has invested in battery swap technology and is currently building a nationwide network of battery swap stations.
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Honda is setting up its own battery swap stations nationwide under ‘Honda eSwap’
It’s unclear what Honda plans to announce on March 29, but we could get a glimpse of an upcoming electric two-wheeler. We’d also like to hear more about the brand’s swap infrastructure, and whether it will also be included in the electric two-wheeler business. So far, swappable batteries are only available for electric tricycles. That said, Ogata previously confirmed that switching technology will be an important part of the company’s electrification goals.
Honda has already used the battery swap technology on models such as the PCX electric scooter and the Honda EM1 e released at EICMA 2022, and it is also equipped with a replaceable battery. It makes sense that the company would want to have a robust infrastructure in place to replace batteries before opting to offer battery-reliant electric products.
Also read: Honda Shine 100 launched at ¥64,900, the opponent’s hero is brilliant
Honda is accelerating its electrification drive to become carbon neutral by 2040. This includes not only small capacity electric two-wheelers, but also larger electric motorcycles. The company’s electric vehicles will be produced at its plant in Vithalapur, Gujarat. Honda plans to build a separate assembly line for this, while the company’s EV business will be conducted at its Narsapura plant in Karnataka state. More details about Honda’s electric vehicle plans will be announced in a few days.
First published date: March 16, 2023 at 15:35 PM CST
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