On the occasion of the Shanghai Motor Show, Honda President Toshihiro Mibe made official what had long been understood: the Japanese company is investing massively in the electric mobility sector, strengthening its presence by offering up to 3 electric vehicles by 2024.
Honda President Toshihiro Mibe said the Japanese brand's commitment to producing new electric vehicles will be intense: Honda will offer up to three electric motorcycles for consumers by 2024, with a focus on interchangeable and standardized batteries, which the company is committed to developing alongside Yamaha, Piaggio and KTM.
The plan announced last Friday at a press conference also commits to complete carbon neutrality for all Honda activities by 2050. Thus, Toshihiro Mibe explains that: “Honda will strive to lead the motorcycle industry at the forefront of its environmental initiatives, not only by electrifying, but also by improving the efficiency of gasoline engines.”
The image accompanying Honda's announcement suggests that the three electric models will be two scooters – one equivalent to a 50 cc displacement, the other a 125 cc style machine – and an electric motorcycle also with a 125 cc displacement.
There is less clarity on Honda's plans for higher-performance electric motorcycles, other than the vague promise of “present EV models in the “FUN” category”, accompanied by a sports silhouette.
Several patents filed by Honda concern electric motorcycles, notably an electrified model based on the CB125R. When it comes to higher performance machines, Honda has worked with Mugen on the electric motorcycles that have won the TT multiple times, so they have mastered the technology to deliver the performance of a Superbike machine in an electric version.
