Honda Motor Scooter India announced its roadmap for India and took a big step in its Electric Vehicle (EV) mission. The Japanese two-wheeler maker will launch two new electric scooters in FY2024, based on Platform ‘E’. One model will have a fixed battery while the other will have a swappable battery set-up. Additionally, the company is setting up 6,000 battery-swapping stations across the country and converting some of its service centers to dedicated EV workshops. Factory ‘E’ in Narsapura, Karnataka, will manufacture Honda’s EVs, with a production capacity of one million units by 2030. The company’s move towards a sustainable future is indeed remarkable and sets a benchmark for others to follow.
New EV factory being set up
Honda is meeting the surging demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and supporting the government’s “Make in India” and localization directives. The Japanese automaker is setting up a specialized facility, dubbed “Factory E”, at its Narsapura Plant in Karnataka, solely devoted to producing EVs, using domestically produced components such as batteries and PCUs. Honda is also designing and producing EV motors in-house. This effort will surely contribute towards achieving the country’s target of 100% EV adoption by 2030.
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Dedicated EV platform
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, created an exciting new EV platform called ‘Platform E’, which can serve as the base for a variety of EV models. This platform includes fixed battery type, swappable battery type, and mid-range EV. Additionally, HMSI launched Project Vidyut, which will roll out two new two-wheeler EVs in FY2024. The first vehicle is a mid-range electric vehicle, and the second one is a swappable battery type powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack e:.
Battery-swapping infrastructure and EV workshops
Honda plans to install charging stations at its 6,000+ network touchpoints to meet the needs of customers. These stations will have exclusive setups that house HEID battery exchangers and mini battery exchangers for swappable battery types and as well as charging cables for fixed battery types. Additionally, Honda intends to use the overall ecosystem to offer EV users a convenient battery swapping solution at petrol pumps, metro stations and other locations.
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Upcoming Honda EVs details
Honda is slated to launch its first electric vehicle in FY24 (April 2023-March 2024), and it will be a ‘mid-range’ offering with a fixed battery. Industry experts believe that Honda will name the car the Activa Electric. Additionally, Honda will launch a second EV that will have a swappable battery. The company will set up battery swapping points for easy battery replacements. Honda will develop both of these EVs from the ground up on a dedicated platform, codenamed Platform ‘E’.
Mr. Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO of Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, made a comment regarding the announcement. He stated that Honda is committed to following the government’s direction for alternate fuels and expanding electrification of models and the ecosystem. Additionally, Honda is taking steps to create exclusive infrastructure for manufacturing a range of captivating electric vehicles. This is all in line with Honda’s global direction to increase Electric Vehicle and Fuel Cell Vehicle unit sales ratio to 100% by 2040.
