Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India is lining up multiple products in the electric vehicle segment with the first model expected to make debut in March next year, company's Managing Director, President and CEO Atsushi Ogata said on Monday.
The company, which on Monday launched a new version of its Activa scooter which conforms to the upcoming stricter emission norms, with price starting at Rs 74,536 (ex-showroom Delhi), plans to come up with charging infrastructure to support its electric vehicle customers.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), which remains the leader in the scooter segment with a market share of 56 per cent, is also looking to consolidate its position in the motorcycle segment with the introduction of a 100 cc bike next month.
The company is looking to consolidate its position in the rural and semi urban markets with the introduction of the bike.
"We are looking to launch the first electric model in March 2024... It is being developed on a completely new platform and is based on the requirements of the Indian market," Ogata said on the sidelines of the launch.
The first model next year would have a fixed battery while the second one would come with a swappable battery system, he said while outlining the details about the upcoming products.
Ogata said the company is considering utilising its existing sales infrastructure of over 6,000 outlets to set up charging infrastructure for its EV range and later depending on the market situation would take a call on expanding it further.
When asked about the launch timelines for the EV product range, he said: "It will not be far away from the launch of the first model. So in a very short period, we will launch new products."
On the company's plans to introduce an electric version of its Activa scooter, Ogata said: "...The concept is futuristic Activa."
When asked about the company's late entry into the EV segment as compared to the competition, Ogata noted that the company focussed on "making the company's constitution strong in the last three years".
