At the Inaugural Press Conference held on 23rd April 2021, Honda revealed its plans towards a sustainable future. The multinational conglomerate company also announced its plans to become a 100% electric brand by 2040. While other manufacturers are focusing mainly on bringing electric passenger cars, Honda the manufacturer of four-wheelers, two-wheelers and Jets also plans to bring electric scooters and motorcycles in the future.
While the electrification of Jets is not possible at the moment, Honda plans to introduce carbon-neutral fuels. But in the two-wheeler segment, the brand not only plans to enhance powertrains that will run on bio-fuels improving the ICE powertrain efficiency but also introduce fully electric scooters and motorcycles.
Honda plans to introduce three new electric two-wheelers by 2024. The brand is likely to introduce 2 electric scooters and an electric motorcycle by the end of 2024. These electric two-wheelers will be introduced in the personal mobility space, for last-mile mobility and daily commutes. The brand also plans to bring a 4th EV model which the brand positions in the ‘Fun’ area. The fourth model could be a premium electric supersport model.
Honda is working on swappable battery technology which will greatly help in the range anxiety of customers. Honda will also form a consortium for swappable batteries where manufacturers will be able to use a uniform design that will help standardise battery packs on motorcycles and scooters. This will further reduce the range anxiety of the user and extend the range of the electric scooter or motorcycle. Apart from the battery technology, Honda will also work on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for two-wheelers, to minimise road accidents and fatalities.
The brand also plans to effectively reuse and recycle batteries, material recycling etc. This also includes developing products made from sustainable materials. Honda will also implement its eMaaS concept to further expand its use of renewable energy. The brand also aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. This not only includes Honda products but also in terms of corporate activities.