Sources say Honda cars would roll out electric vehicles in India in 5 years

In the line with India government's plan to shift to electro-mobility, Japanese carmaker Honda Motor is planning to launch electric vehicle in the Indian market by 2023-2024, sources said.

The project will be a part of the company's global electric rollout plan, to be kicked off in China in 2019.  As told to ET Auto, the company is working on gathering the specific requirements of the proposed 'B' segment vehicle.

“While the government is still to roll out its electric vehicle policy, unlike the past, Honda is not waiting for policy changes to define its electrified vehicles footprint,” one of persons cited earlier said. “While the hybrid solution on City sedan is defined, the EV solution for a B segment car or an SUV is part of the plan.”

Honda Cars India does not want to lag behind in offering green mobility solutions and hopes to act before the policies are changed. Honda officially did not confirm any timeline for launch of electric vehicles in India. In a recent interview, Honda Cars India president Gaku Nakanishi confirmed the arrival of EVs in India without confirming a timeline.

As per sources, the key requirement for an EV in India is that it has to be a city car with a range of 150-200 km. Honda also plans to localize the hybrid solution in India to ensure accessibility and affordability.

Honda is the last major automakers in India to announce its EV plans. Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor, Toyota, M&M and Tata have already announced their plans for EVs to be launched in India.

Indian aluminium producers and aluminium auto part manufacturers are betting big on the government's plan to launch elecrtic vehicles in India on consmer level, as it is going to boost demands for aluminium auto sheets and forged and cast products.