Honda Will Launch Its First Flex-Fuel Motorcycle In India

Two-wheeler maker Honda Motorcycle and Scooters India (HMSI) is planning to launch its first motorcycle with a flex-fuel engine. Honda, one of India's largest two-wheeler manufacturers, has announced that the new flex-fuel motorcycle will be launched in the next two years.

After launching the TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100 with a flex-fuel engine, Honda will become the second two-wheeler manufacturer in India to launch a motorcycle powered by a flex-fuel engine. Honda Motorcycle & Scooters India Chief Executive Officer Atsushi Ogata made the announcement during an international conference on Biofuels in Delhi on Wednesday. "Our internal target is a minimum, one model, the first model of flex-fuel motorcycle to be launched by the end of 2024," he said in his statement.  He did not specify which model will be used as the first flex-fuel motorcycle from the brand. Earlier, Honda had said that it is working on a flex-fuel commuter motorcycle. The Japanese two-wheeler maker already sells flex-fuel motorcycles in other countries such as Brazil. The company may launch one or more commuter motorcycles with the flex-fuel engine in India. This motorcycle can run on both petrol and ethanol fuel.

In order to promote the blending of increasing percentages of ethanol and components of vegetable oil with gasoline and diesel, India, the third-largest importer and consumer of oil in the world, has expanded the excise duty exemption for biofuels.