Kawasaki Goes Electric With Ambitious New Model Plans
At the start of October, Kawasaki officially reformed its motorcycle business—previously called “Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine”—into a new company simply called Kawasaki Motors, and now the firm has revealed its plans for the coming years, which include a wholesale shift toward electric and hybrid vehicles.
A presentation in Japan, where it also revealed and showed the latest iteration of Kawasaki revealed that by 2035 all major models sold in developed countries will be either battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).
While 2035 might still seem a long way off, the first step of the process is much closer: The company promises to launch “more than 10″ electric or hybrid bikes by 2025—little more than three years from now. The same pattern is to be adopted for the firm’s four-wheelers, with five electric or hybrid production models due by 2025.
it’s part of a project that’s been underway for at least a decade
In terms of actual bikes, the only sight yet of an electric Kawasaki is the prototype that the firm first revealed in 2019, which was shown again at the firm’s new presentation, albeit with some new graphics. As we explained last year, it’s part of a project that’s been underway for at least a decade, and while it’s sure to have given Kawasaki plenty of insight and experience with electric bikes, it probably shouldn’t be considered a reliable indication of the design or specification of a future production model.
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The new electric and hybrid bike onslaught doesn’t mean we’re about to see the end of combustion-engine Kawasakis. The company plans to go on a new model offensive over the next few years, simultaneously working on that could give a new lease on life to the tech that’s been at the heart of motorcycling since the very start.
For the road-going motorcycle range, Kawasaki’s plan is to launch an average of 16 new models per year by 2025, including gasoline-powered machines, hybrids, and electric bikes. Off-road, the firm will also develop a BEV and HEV range, but in the meantime is planning to launch 15 new off-road models, presumably mainly using conventional gasoline engines, by 2025. In terms of four-wheelers, the plan is again to adopt BEV/HEV tech and to be launching an average of eight new models per year by 2025.
The company has also reiterated its intention to continue to create high-end, high-priced bikes,
