Electric bikes powering up
Motorcycling’s electric future is closer than you thinkSix of the world’s largest and most influential motorcycle manufacturers will use the 2018 Auto Expo in India’s Mumbai to launch electric-powered offerings ahead of looming deadlines across the globe which will ban the sale of petrol- and diesel-powered passenger vehicles.
Honda, Yamaha, Bajaj, Mahindra, Hero and TVS are all expected to reveal emission-free models during the show set for February, a fitting stage given India is now not only the biggest manufacturing market in the world, but also the largest consumer market.
The country’s energy minister Piyush Goyal confirmed during the Confederation of Indian Industry conference that “the idea is that by 2030, not a single petrol or diesel car should be sold in the country,” and while he didn’t specifically address powered two-wheelers, the knock-on to motorcycles will be inevitable.
The development of technology surrounding electric vehicles extends far beyond drivetrains and battery range, too, with Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zongshen debuting a wireless charging station for electric motorcycles just this week at its native Chinese International Motorcycle Fair (CIMA).
It and many other Chinese brands sold in the domestic market used CIMA to premiere not just technology around electrification, but various other clean emission technologies like fuel cell prototypes and the like.
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