Honda planning affordable electric cars for India

Last week, Maruti Suzuki and Toyota signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch electric vehicles (EVs) in India by 2020. Now, according to a media report, Honda is also evaluating a strategy to introduce EVs in India.

The Japanese car maker is looking into developing affordable EVs that will be suitable for Indian traffic conditions. Yoichiro Ueno, CEO, Honda Cars India Limited told the media that the company is yet to figure out a specific timeline for the launch of EVs in India and that it would depend on the development of technologies and charging infrastructure as well as on how fast the market evolves.

While the lack of charging infrastructure, cruising range and affordability is still a cause of concern for most manufacturers, Honda believes, hybrids will play a crucial role until EVs gain mainstream acceptance. However, an unfavourable tax structure has raised the prices of hybrids in recent times. The Accord Hybrid is the only hybrid model currently offered in India. 

Honda has already setup an Electric Vehicle Development Division within Honda R&D in Japan which is tasked solely with the development of EVs. The company expects EVs to amount for 65% of its total sales by 2030.

Source: Economic Times