Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India will reportedly launch an electric scooter in India, priced well below the country’s best-selling scooter, Activa. The development has been confirmed by HMSI’s President Atsushi Ogata, who further noted that two more models are in the pipeline as the brand aims to sell one million EVs by the end of this decade.
The feasibility study of the electric scooter has been completed according to Ogata as the model is currently under development. The market for EVs will reach around three million units by 2030 and Honda intends to bring in multiple models as it plans to have a market share of 30 per cent in this particular space by the end of this decade.
Honda could leverage the Activa moniker and use it in the forthcoming electric scooter. It could utilise a swappable battery solution and the EV range will comprise models from low to high-powered models along with alternatives for last-mile commercial users as well. The Japanese brand is working in tandem with supply chain partners to increase local content.
This has been done by procuring components locally from domestic vendors while exports are also being considered to utilise the capacity. While the launch timeframe and the range capabilities are not divulged by Ogata, it will have a top speed of 60 Kmph and it will be slotted below the IC-engined Activa in terms of pricing.
The official launch could happen in the Financial Year 2023-24 as Honda is targeting buyers who are looking for an alternative secondary option. The affordable “mid-range product for specific use cases”. Honda has not finalised the manufacturing facility for the EVs yet. Honda could compete against mainstream manufacturers like Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor Company, and others along with well-received start-ups such as Ola Electric and Ather Energy.
