After Bajaj, TVS And Suzuki, Honda Will Now Go Electric

Here’s a bit of news that will give e-mobility startups, not to mention the good folks at Bajaj Auto, in India some sleepless nights. Honda, the most dominant Japanese manufacturer of them all, is jumping into the electric scooter fray and will start testing an e-scooter of its own in India this year. Should everything go to plan, we could very well see a mass-market Honda electric two-wheeler some time in 2021.

Honda has revealed that it will test an electric vehicle imported from China, but it will not be the PCX Electric. Though it hasn’t officially stated that it will be a scooter, that is what we expect it to be, considering the present state of the electric two-wheeler market in India.

And although it won’t be the PCX itself, the test mule, and the product it potentially spawns, could borrow some tech from the electric scooter that Honda showcased to its dealers recently. Like swappable lithium-ion batteries, for example, which would allow almost zero downtime, provided there is a comprehensive swapping network put in place.

Also Read: Honda’s Electric Scooters Steal The Show At 2019 Tokyo Motor Show

And that is where things get interesting. Honda stated that it would have to wait for adequate charging infrastructure to come up before taking a plunge into the EV space. Bajaj, for example, has not taken any initiative to set up commercial charging infrastructure to support its newly launched Chetak e-scooter. With the government also not providing a clear plan to establish EV charging infrastructure, this leaves only startups. Ather Energy is setting up its charging grid in every city that it operates in, and electric motorcycle manufacturer Revolt is creating its Switch Stations where users can swap out an empty battery for a fully charged one.

One can only hope that our government takes substantial steps over the coming months towards facilitating electric mobility in India by setting up charging infrastructure. If this fails to materialise, it will be up to Honda to decide whether it wishes to pump in its own resources to establish charging stations or not.

The Honda EV will undergo a one-year testing period, during which the manufacturer will gauge response as well as observe the development of the EV space in India. Following this, it will make a decision about the final product. If it does get a green light, we expect the e-scooter to play in the Rs 1 lakh to 1.15 lakh range (ex-showroom), competing with the likes of the Ather 450 and Bajaj Chetak, as well as Suzuki’s upcoming e-scooter which will also be undergoing testing this year.

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