24-05-2025
Honda Cars India To Launch New BEV Next Fiscal Year; Will Focus On Hybrids Too
Honda Cars India has a new helmsman, Takashi Nakajima, who recently took over as the president and CEO of the company from Takuya Tsumura, made a slew of announcements at an informal event in Delhi. One of the highlights was the confirmation of the launch of a new battery electric vehicle (BEV) in the next fiscal year. It will not be based on the Honda Elevate, as speculated earlier, but instead it will be an EV made specifically for the Indian market.
Honda hasn't made it clear whether the new EV will be an SUV or a sedan, but sources suggest that it is likely to be SUV, that could go up against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki e-Vitara, Hyundai Creta EV, Tata Curvv EV and so on. The company believes in having a different brand strategy for ICE and electric vehicles, unlike some other brands which opt for the same/similar branding. Honda is also silently working on its charging infrastructure, so that when the new EV arrives, the support network will be ready.
The other highlight is that Honda sees India as one of its top three markets after Japan and USA. The new electric SUV will be one of the key models for Honda to step into the lucrative electric vehicle segment in India that is yet to unlock its full potential. Lastly, Nakajima San also stressed on the importance of hybrid technology and confirmed that more hybrid cars are on their way to India. There are also talks of a brand-new platform based on Honda's new e-HEV hybrid system with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a new electric AWD unit that is still under wraps.
At present Honda sells the Elevate, City, Amaze and old-gen Amaze in India, with only the City having a hybrid setup. But the new top management does believe in the potential of the country and is ready to bring in a slew of new hybrid and EV models in the next few years.
