Suzuki To Launch All-Electric Two-Wheeler Soon

Upcoming all-electric two-wheeler likely to be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo

Suzuki official confirms all-electric two-wheeler for India. Company is awaiting clarification from the government regarding new EV norms. The all-electric two-wheeler project could spawn an e-scooter or an e-bike.

The government’s push for electric vehicles has led a lot of manufacturers to go back to their drawing boards to develop electric vehicles for Indian conditions. Now, Devashish Handa, Suzuki India’s vice president of sales, marketing and after-sales, has confirmed that the company is developing an electric two-wheeler specifically for our domestic market.

Speaking to a media house, Handa said, “It is under development. The project is on. We are not too sure when we will introduce it in the Indian market, because what the government has declared so far is its intention. But it has to be converted to some regulation. We do not have firm regulations and till such time you have firm clarity on regulations in the Central Motor Rules it becomes very difficult for any manufacturer to time (a launch). Those things are still to be considered. But fundamental work is happening”.

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According to various reports, the government is considering a ban on sales of sub-150cc motorcycles from 1 April 2025. These motorcycles will be replaced by all-electric two-wheelers instead. While discussions are still on to enforce the rule, other local manufacturers have expressed their concerns over the planned move. They believe five years is too less to bring about such a major transformation across the country, especially when most of them are focussing on updating their products to meet new BS6 emission norms that are set to be implemented in April 2020.

Coming back to Suzuki’s electric two-wheeler project, we believe its first product could be a motorcycle rather than a scooter since there’s a slew of players present in the electric scooter segment already. Currently, Revolt Intellicorp and Tork Motors are the only electric mobility firms that have shown an interest in launching electric bikes in the country. 

Also, when Suzuki entered the country back in 2006, its first offering was a motorcycle. Going by this logic, it makes better sense for the Japanese brand to tap into the potential of the electric motorcycle market before venturing into the e-scooter segment. We expect a concept version of the upcoming two-wheeler to be unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo followed by its launch a few months later. Stay tuned to BikeDekho for more updates!

Source: Indian Express