It aims to start feasibility run of the electric scooter with its dealer partners at the end of the festive season this year
Making its foray into the fast-booming electric two-wheeler market, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) is gearing up to launch its first electric product in the country in the next financial year, a top company official has said.
In an interaction with PTI, HMSI President, Managing Director and CEO Atsushi Ogata said the company has decided to foray into the segment after having a detailed discussion with its parent firm — Honda Motor Company in Japan.
The two-wheeler major aims to start feasibility run of the electric scooter with its dealer partners at the end of the festive season this year.
When asked if the company has started testing the product in India, Ogata said: “Not yet officially but after Diwali…we will set up the feasibility study officially at our dealerships.”
He noted that the upcoming electric scooter would add to the company’s line-up in the country and there were no plans to shift existing range like Activa or Shine to electric over the next three years.
Ogata stated that not only the EV product, but the company is also going to consider tapping the opportunity in the battery management systems.
However, Ogata added, “Some customers are using electric two-wheelers for very short commutes or very flat street conditions in big cities. So such customers have started to consider such options but still I think major customer segments are preferring to keep our existing line-up because still in front of EV products, existing ICE engine specs have a lot of positive points.”
He further said: “So far I don’t believe there will be a drastic shift from ICE engines to the EV. We are considering it because we have the know-how of EV technology since the last several decades, so why not consider it for the Indian market.”
Already, the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, Hero MotoCorp, has announced that it is looking to launch an electric model next year. The company has also tied up with Taiwan-based Gogoro Inc to bring the latter’s battery-swapping platform to India.
Similarly, Chennai-based TVS Motor Company will launch a complete range of electric two and three-wheelers with power output ranging from 5 to 25 kilowatts in the next two years.
