Honda electric motorcycle plant to open in India by 2028

  • Honda is poised to open a dedicated electric motorcycle plant in India by 2028, as the electric vehicle market both worldwide and in the country continues to grow.
  • The facility is being opened in response to Honda’s goal for electric motorcycles to be sold at a price which ensures total cost of ownership (TCO) parity with ICE-powered motorbikes, three years from purchase.
  • Such an achievement could significantly boost and further encourage uptake of electric motorbikes, particularly in India – which exists as the largest motorcycle market in the world, by annual sales volume.

Honda to open dedicated electric motorcycle plant as it strives for TCO parity

Whilst Honda already produces electric motorbikes within India, such as the upcoming ACTIVA e: and QC1, this new plant, set to be built near the Indian city of Bengaluru, will be the first in the country which is fully dedicated to electric motorcycle production – marking a pivotal point in the emobility transition.

The new factory will employ modular techniques, allowing it to produce a wide number of specific electric motorbike models. While the central mid module, housing the batteries, will be shared between models (improving economies of scale), front and rear modules, along with the rear e-axle, will be interchangeable depending on the bike being produced.

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Globally, Honda is hoping to launch 30 specific electric motorbike models by 2030. Some of those potential new models were hinted at from Honda’s electric concepts at the EICMA motorcycle show, last November. By the same 2030 deadline, the manufacturer is also hoping to achieve annual electric motorbike sales of 4 million units, and achieve a cost reduction per finished electric motorbike of 50%. Longer term, Honda is aiming to account for 50% of global motorcycle market share. This upcoming Indian facility, coming online in 2028, will help contribute towards achieving these figures.

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