Honda 2-Wheelers India will launch its first electric scooter by March 2024 in the country. The MD and CEO Atsushi Ogata revealed the company’s projected timeline for the entry of its first electric scooter in India at the launch of the Activa H-Smart ICE scooter.
“We are locally developing our electric two-wheelers in close coordination with Honda’s teams in Japan, and we aim to be ready with the first scooter around the same time next year – definitely within FY 2023-’24,” Atsushi Ogata was quoted as saying at the event.
Also Read: 2023 Honda Activa H-Smart Launch in India, Price Begins at Rs 74,536
Ogata further revealed that Honda’s first all-electric offering will be based on the existing Activa. It will come with a transplanted electric powertrain. The Activa EV will boast of a fixed-battery set-up and offer a maximum speed of 50 kmph.
Following the launch of Honda Activa Electric, the brand will introduce a second electric scooter that will be based on a completely new platform. This electric scooter will be offered with a swappable battery set-up to deliver high performance in line with other electric scooters available in the market. When launched, Honda’s e-scooter will primarily compete against Ola’s S1 and S1 Air.
Reports suggest that Honda could have served the Indian market earlier with any of its EV products that it sells in China. However, the company chose to work on India-specific products.
Atsushi Ogata shared additional details about the company’s plans in India at the launch of Activa H-Smart. He said, “Over the last six months, Honda has been focusing on making arrangements to localise the e-motor as well as the battery. The bulk of its investments in FY 2023-’24 will go towards making its manufacturing infrastructure compatible to produce two-wheelers powered by internal combustion engine and EVs within the same plant in a hybrid format.”
According to a report by Autocar, HMSI will build electric motors in-house and will set up battery-swapping stations across all its 6,000 consumer touch points in India before the rollout of its second electric scooter. Interestingly, the Japanese giant still believes that conventionally powered scooters will remain popular in the Indian market for the foreseeable future as they offer a higher range per refuel.
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