It seems to be only a matter of time before electric bikes make the leap to the mainstream and with the news of a Honda electric scooter coming next year that moment looks a lot closer.
Honda’s CEO and President Takahiro Hachigo officially confirmed the bike in a speech yesterday. Talking at the Honda Meeting 2017 Hachigo said that Honda was moving towards electrification of both its cars and bikes. In terms of motorcycles, he said:
“We are striving to promote the electrification of commuter models, and we are planning to introduce some new models including an electric scooter in 2018.
“We are currently working on the research and development of a highly-convenient system for electric commuters, which feature a detachable mobile battery that is easy to replace and/or recharge. We are considering to conduct demonstration testing of this mobile battery in collaboration with the Japan Post Co., Ltd. in Japan.”
Hachigo’s comments are further confirmation of a plan that he first mentioned in early 2016 to productionise the EV-CUB concept bike. The EV-CUB was first shown in 2009, initially as a two-wheel-drive design with hub motors at both ends. A second version of the concept appeared in 2015 with similar styling but rear wheel drive only. In February 2016, Hachigo said: “We are planning to introduce the EV-CUB, a mass-production model developed based on the EV-CUB Concept electric motorcycle, to the Japanese market about two years from now and then subsequently in main ASEAN countries, which have been the largest market for the Honda Cub Series.”
His latest comments suggest that it’s just the first of a whole line of electric commuter models. It suggests scooters will be the main focus.
The second Honda electric scooter he mentions is destined initially for the Japanese post office, for delivery use. In March this year Honda signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan Post to supply an electric delivery bike. It will use charging stations at post offices, plus the ability to swap flat batteries for fully-charged ones, to allow the bikes to operate without the charging down-time usually associated with electrics.