Honda Global has officially announced its entry into the electric motorcycle market in India, with plans to launch a model equivalent to 110-125 cc commuters in 2024. As part of Honda Motor Co’s electrification strategy, they will invest $34 billion by 2030 for new products and development. The electric motorcycle will feature swappable batteries and will be manufactured in India at Honda’s existing facility. The launch will initially take place in India, followed by other ASEAN markets, Japan, and Europe.
Honda’s operations in India will play a crucial role in the overall motorcycle electrification strategy. The company will utilize existing facilities for electric motorcycle production until 2027 and plans to establish a dedicated plant after 2027. This new facility will have an annual production capacity of about one million units, with an investment of approximately 50 billion yen per plant.
Honda aims to significantly reduce the cost of finished electric motorcycles by 50% through battery optimization, modular platforms, and efficient production and procurement. The new assembly lines for electric motorcycles are expected to be 40% shorter compared to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.
In addition to India, Honda plans to set up a dedicated electric motorcycle plant in the ASEAN region. The company’s ambitious goal is to sell four million electric motorcycles by 2030 while achieving a 10% operating profit margin. Honda also plans to repurpose its Kumamoto plant in Japan to produce larger-capacity electric motorcycles equivalent to 600-700 cc offerings.
As part of its future strategy, Honda aims to introduce 30 new electric motorcycles globally by the end of the decade. These upcoming models will incorporate advanced technologies such as connectivity features, over-the-air updates, and modern data collection systems. The company is also focused on enhancing battery technology and will incorporate LFP battery cells alongside the currently used NMC lithium-ion batteries.