Honda is gearing up for a global electric roll out plan which is set to commence in China from 2019. It is said that India is also in the list of target markets and specific requirements for an EV in our market is being gathered.
According to Economic Times sources, Honda Cars India is planning to introduce an electric vehicle in India by 2023-24. The EV in question would either be a B segment car or an SUV. Honda entered the diesel game very late and it doesn’t want to do the same mistake with green vehicles. So, even though the Indian government is yet to roll out its EV policy, the Japanese automaker has commenced work.
According to the publications sources, the primary input for an Indian electric vehicle is that a city car should have a range between 150 – 200 km. Further details are scarce as of now but if we were to guess, the next gen B-platform which will underpin the new Amaze, Brio, and possibly a compact crossover, is likely to adopt pure electric powertrain.
Before introducing the all-electric vehicles, Honda will be introducing an hybrid version of its popular City sedan as a short term measure. The company is expected to localize the hybrid system to make the car affordable.
Despite starting early, Honda will be last of the top five automakers in the country to enter the EV game. Mahindra has been in the space for years while Tata has EVs at its disposal and can come to the market at a short notice.
Maruti has commenced testing WagonR EV prototypes with launch slated in 2020. Toyota will exploit Maruti’s EV platform in India. Hyundai will be fielding its Kona electric premium SUV next year before kick starting a top-down EV strategy. From 2020, almost all the new car launches in India are either going to be hybrid or pure electric.
