Honda Has Eyes Set On Developing New Electric Scooter Platforms For India

HMSI will work hand-in-hand with Honda Japan to develop platforms and electric powertrains.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Aug 16, 2022 at 8:28am ET

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We are now witnessing a lot of brands and manufacturers launching and extending their electric portfolio in the market at a blistering pace in Asia and Europe, where the electric mobility sector is indeed very active. The electrification of the Asian market is viewed as being particularly driven by India, where both large and small manufacturers are making significant investments in e-mobility.

Given the rapid growth of the electric motorcycle segment, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is expected to launch its first electric scooter in India in 2023. The Indian division of Big Red will closely collaborate with Honda's corporate headquarters in Japan to create essential platforms and technologies for electric scooters and motorcycles for the Indian market. This is particularly noteworthy given the country's increasing gasoline prices and government subsidies for electric vehicles. Currently, the Ather 450X, TVS i-Qube, and Ola S1 Pro are the market leaders in India's electric scooter segment.

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Indian automotive publication GaadiWaadi suggests that the first electric scooter from Honda exclusive to the Indian market will be an electric iteration of the massively popular Honda Activa—a model that is considered as one of the most popular scooters in the country. The business will soon make use of its already massive India-based workforce, and cooperate with engineers and designers from Honda Motorcycle Japan. The collaborative effort is expected to produce platforms, powertrains, and other vital parts that are developed for the Indian market, and have the potential to strike gold in the rest of Asia, and maybe even Europe, too.

The demand for practical, well-made, and potent electric motorcycles and scooters has so far been quite strong in India, as well as other areas of Asia, where the EV industry is predicted to expand quickly in the future years. While Honda hasn't provided any other information on its upcoming electric scooter for 2023, we anticipate Honda to promote it as a high-end alternative to competitors like the TVS i-Qube and the aforementioned Ather 450X.