Honda India Says Conventional Engine To Run On Hybrid Fuel

More than one electric two-wheeler is expected to arrive from the Japanese manufacturer

The age of EVs and alternate fuel is here. With no walkaround to the constant crunch for fossil fuel, OEMs are hard at work testing varied solutions to remain relevant and futureproof. Honda India has been actively making strategic moves in this direction as well. Discussing its future plans for India, it says, the brand is more than equipped to make a ‘seamless’ transition from conventional to alternative fuels. Let’s look at a few areas where Honda has been developing its sustainable ecosystem and what this future could have in store for us.

Back in 2020 Honda was seen testing its Benly e, an electric scooter deployed for delivery duties in India. The reason we believed Honda was testing the urban mule was to understand the viability of its battery swapping technology; which as we know, Honda is now pursuing actively with its recent partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). Only last month Honda announced the alliance with the petroleum company to use the latter’s wide network of petrol pumps as swapping stations.

Even the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in her recent budget emphasised that the government will aid and assist battery swapping stations to combat lack of space for charging stations in order to boost the EV culture in India. All the tell-tale signs are there and Honda seems to be priming for the transition. 

*Image used for representative purposes only.
 
But that’s not it, Honda is taking a ??two-pronged approach and is also discussing ‘flex-fuel.’ Flex fuel essentially is turning a conventional internal combustion engine to run on more than one fuel type. Typically it’s gasoline blended with ethanol or methanol. Honda has been perfecting this technology for over a decade and claims seven million satisfied customers have availed the benefits of its flex fuel technology globally. 

So that almost covers the power source, but what about the models we can expect from HMSI? Well, we know that the Benly e is both expensive and not exactly the design that’s most appealing to Indian taste buds. The Activa however has become a household name and we can expect an all-electric version of it in the near future. Honda says it is currently in the ‘feasibility-study’ phase of developing its EV models and ecosystem. 

That said, Honda may even develop a scooter for its European markets like Yamaha did with its Neo’s, a cute little electric urban rider. Given the huge upcoming potential in both B2B and B2C markets, Honda may be looking to recreate a success story as it once did with the legendary Super Cub.