Honda Gears Up For EV Motorcycle Domination, Sets ...

Honda has been one of many largest names within the motorbike trade for many years. Irrespective of the place on this planet you go, chances are high you’ll see a Honda two-wheeler on the street, be it a small-displacement scooter on the streets of Indonesia, or a Fireblade setting scorching laps within the Nurburgring.

Suffice it to say that the Japanese big has mastered the steadiness between reliability, affordability, and efficiency, making its bikes a go-to for riders of all walks of life.

Globally, Honda sells extra bikes than another model—near 19 million units in 2024 alone. That’s over 1 / 4 of all bikes bought worldwide. However what’s actually attention-grabbing is that Honda isn’t nearly protecting its lead—it’s additionally all about shaping the way forward for how we transfer. And it doesn’t matter what you assume, the reality merely is that the longer term is electrical—or no less than, a giant a part of it’s.

However whereas some producers have gone all-in on electrical bikes in recent times, Honda appears to be taking a extra long-term, strategic method. As a substitute of speeding right into a market that’s nonetheless discovering its footing (living proof: all the EV startups that’ve gone under recently), it’s laying the groundwork for the lengthy haul. And a giant a part of that plan is India.

Honda not too long ago introduced that it’ll be constructing a devoted electrical motorbike manufacturing unit in Bengaluru, set to open its doorways in 2028. Admittedly, which may appear fairly far off since 2025 simply rolled over, and there’s quite a bit to unpack this yr alone. However right here’s why it is a potential game-changer.

You see, India is the most important motorbike market on this planet. And by giant, I imply 20-million-bikes-a-year giant. On the identical time, the Indian authorities is pushing laborious for car electrification, together with different sustainable gasoline options. By establishing store there, Honda is placing itself within the excellent place to benefit from a market which is able to probably have the largest demand for mild EVs in your complete world.

And the aim isn’t simply to spice up native EV gross sales, both. It’s to make India a hub for exporting electrical bikes all around the world. Honda presently holds 40 p.c of the worldwide motorbike market, and with this transfer, it goals to push that quantity to 50 p.c, maybe even greater, over the long term. And given Honda’s observe document, that’s not simply wishful pondering; it’s a really actual risk

Picture by: Honda

Two Honda electrical motorbike ideas unveiled at EICMA 2024. 

However Honda hasn’t precisely flooded the market with electrical bikes—no less than not but. However, that doesn’t imply it’s sitting nonetheless. As we mentioned beforehand, the corporate showcased two EV concepts at EICMA 2024. Considered one of them was the EV Enjoyable Idea, a sporty electrical bike set to launch someday in 2025. The opposite one was the EV City Idea, a glossy commuter that previews Honda’s imaginative and prescient for electrical city mobility.

Apart from the 2 futuristic EV ideas, Honda already has some wise electrical choices out there. Chief of which is unquestionably the Cellular Energy Pack e:, a swappable battery system designed to make charging fast and hassle-free. As a substitute of counting on lengthy charging instances, this tech might be a game-changer for metropolis riders who want a extra handy solution to keep powered up. And it’s already powering the whole lot from scooters to building tools, and even tourist boats.

It is clear that Honda sees large potential within the electrical motorbike market with its upcoming EV plant in India. And absolutely, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than Honda takes over the electrical motorbike scene—identical to it did with gas-powered bikes. Hopefully, different massive names within the trade that at the moment are thought-about “legacy manufacturers” will comply with in Honda’s footsteps, too. In any case, a giant a part of the longer term is electrical—and it’s a fact that we have to settle for, as laborious as it could appear.