Exciting news from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI)! The creators of the iconic Activa scooter have announced their venture into the electric vehicle (EV) realm. According to Atsushi Ogata, the company’s President, MD, and CEO, the first electric scooter will make its debut around March 2024, possibly in the fiscal year 2023-24. This announcement came during the launch of the Activa H-Smart.
Ogata revealed, “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.”
This forthcoming electric scooter will be built upon the foundation of India’s best-selling scooter, the Activa, ensuring a sense of familiarity and trust for buyers. It will feature a fixed battery setup and reach a maximum speed of 50 kmph.
Following the Activa electric, Honda plans to launch another electric scooter, this time built on a dedicated EV platform. Expect a higher top speed and longer range. There’s speculation that this second offering might feature battery swapping technology, departing from the fixed battery setup
HMSI’s decision to develop products tailored for the Indian market rather than importing from China emphasizes their dedication. “With market expectations growing, we are going to get into the EV segment next year,” Ogata highlighted. The company’s investments in FY 2023–2024 will focus on creating a manufacturing infrastructure compatible with both internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheelers and EVs in a hybrid format. Recent efforts have concentrated on localizing e-motors and batteries.
Before the launch of the second e-scooter, HMSI aims to produce electric motors in-house and establish battery-swapping stations across their 6,000 consumer touchpoints nationwide. However, they acknowledge that conventional scooters with longer refill intervals will remain significant in the Indian market.
In addition to their EV journey, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is determined to solidify their presence in the motorcycle market. With a dominating 56% market share in the scooter segment, they plan to introduce a 100 cc bike the following month. This strategic move aims to strengthen their presence in rural and semi-urban areas.
