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(Bloomberg) — Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. is betting on ethanol-blended gasoline over battery-powered vehicles to decarbonize its local lineup as the nation’s second-largest two-wheeler maker remains on the sidelines of the electric vehicle boom.
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“Sustainability must also be practical,” Tsutsumu Otani, president and Chief Executive Officer of Honda Motor Co.’s Indian two-wheeler unit, said at an event Friday. Green mobility has to stay “accessible, reliable, and suitable for real customer need,” he said.
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Honda is betting on flex-fuel options, including gasoline blended with 85% ethanol — E85 — and 100% ethanol, alongside advanced internal combustion engines, arguing that no single technology fits every rider in a market as varied as India’s, according to Otani.
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Electric two-wheelers accounted for 8% of more than 20 million motorcycles and scooters sold in the country in the fiscal year through March, the government’s registration data showed. Honda, Suzuki Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co sold just 4,746 of these units, with under 1% share.
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Honda’s India plan aligns with its worldwide strategy as its Japanese parent is halting sales of its electric vehicles in the US. The pullback comes after the company invested too much and too late into a short-lived EV boom.
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Even in India, EV adoption remains concentrated in southern parts of the country, where charging infrastructure is more developed, while rural markets continue to favor traditional combustion models, Otani said. “Customers don’t really care about ICE or EV. Customers simply want what’s good value.”
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Otani said Honda considers the EV base too immature and infrastructure-dependent to chase it aggressively. He cited blackouts and inconsistent charging access for prioritizing a “multi-pathway approach” spanning ICE, electric and alternative fuels rather than a straight EV pivot.
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The strategy contrasts with homegrown rivals TVS Motor Co. and Bajaj Auto Ltd., and pure-play startups like Ather Energy Ltd. and Ola Electric Ltd. that dominate the battery-powered scooter segment.
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Honda is also leaning on India as an export hub, shipping to roughly 60 countries — mainly in Latin America and Africa.
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