Honda is reportedly working on a small electric hatchback based on Brio platform; could set up battery manufacturing plant in India
It seems Honda is eager to grab a good share in the Indian EV market that is about to grow significantly in coming years. The Japanese car manufacturer could launch a small electric hatchback based on the Honda Brio’s platform. Also, the brand could set up a battery manufacturing plant in the country to complement its EV drive.
As India is pushing to adopt zero emission pure electric mobility across the country by 2030 under the central government’s Mission EV 2030 strategy, Honda is aiming to become a major player in the domestic EV market. For that, the brand is aiming the small car market that is expected to bring major sales volume for the EV operators.
Also read: Upcoming Electric Cars in India in Coming Years
Interestingly, Honda foresees around 65% of the company’s total coming from electrified vehicles by 2030. Among this, 15% will be zero emission pure electric vehicles, while the rest will be hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell powered models. With Honda Car India being the fourth largest unit of the automobile giant, it aims to grow bigger in the country and contribute more in the overall global sales. For that strategy to become successful, electrified vehicles are going to play crucial role.
In recent times, we have seen the auto major unveiled couple of exciting and futuristic electric vehicle concepts that include the Urban EV concept and Sports EV concept. We can see the production version of these models being launched here in near future.
Also read: Most Awaited Upcoming Cars Launching Very Soon in India
The Japanese auto major is also working on next generation Honda Brio. We can assume the next model would arrive with an electric version alongside the conventional fuel powered model. In that case, Honda will have to upgrade the Brio’s platform to accommodate an electric powertrain.
While the brand is not keen to reveal the detail of its upcoming electric car in India, we can assume the car to be launched here sometime by 2020. It could be locally produced here along with being powered by a locally built battery pack. This strategy will certainly help the brand to achieve competitive pricing.
Source: LiveMint