Honda two-wheelers to launch first electric vehicle in March 2024

NEW DELHI:  Top two-wheeler maker Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) will launch its first electric scooter in March 2024. “We are looking to launch the first electric model in March 2024...it is being developed on a completely new platform and is based on the requirements of Indian market,” said Atsushi Ogata, managing director, President and CEO of HMSI on Monday.  

Ogata also said it is lining up multiple products in the electric vehicle (EV) segment. The first model next year would come with a fixed battery, while the second one would come with a swappable battery system. Ogata said the company is considering utilising HMSI’s existing sales infrastructure of more than 6,000 outlets to set up charging infrastructure for its EV range and later depending on the market situation would take a call on expanding it further. 

When asked about the launch timelines for the EV product range, he said, “It will not be far away from the launch of the first model. So in a very short period, we will launch new products.” The Japanese automaker is late on launching an EV as rival two-wheeler firms such as Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor already have battery-powered scooters in their line-up. 

HMSI on Monday launched a new version of its Activa scooter which conforms to the upcoming stricter emission norms, with price starting at Rs 74,536 (ex-showroom Delhi).