FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
On Sept. 13, 2022, Honda announced it will eliminate gasoline-powered motorcycles by the mid-2040s. All new vehicles will be EV motorcycles; 3.5 million, or 15% of global sales, are to be EV motorcycles by 2030. Honda has already declared that all its four-wheeled vehicles will be EVs by 2040, but this is the first time the company has laid out a concrete strategy for decarbonization on two wheels.
From now on, Honda will pursue electrification exclusively with EVs. First, it will launch at least 10 EV motorcycle models by 2025. Since investment in new vehicle development and production facilities will be a heavy burden, Honda will use a common platform for batteries, motors, and other components for three large motorcycle models to be launched in Japan, the United States, and Europe between 2024 and 2025.
The company has announced plans to use “all solid-state batteries,” in motorcycles. These batteries have shorter recharging times and increased driving range. In addition to being flame-retardant and safe, they are expected to be smaller and lighter than lithium-ion batteries. Honda has been developing all-solid-state batteries to improve EV performance and plans to launch a pilot production line in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture in the spring of 2024.
Source: The Nikkei
PSR Analysis: On August 24, the Indian government, which has a huge market for motorcycles, announced battery waste regulations aimed at strengthening recycling of used batteries. The impact of this regulation on the motorcycle industry is significant. As international competition intensifies, securing batteries in such a huge market is a matter of life and death for manufacturers. The all-solid-state battery mentioned in the article is still in the research stage, and its use in motorcycles will likely lead to its widespread use. PSR
By Akihiro Komuro, Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia (WITH PHOTO)
