Japanese Motorcycle Makers Racing to Go Carbon-Neutral

Tokyo, Feb. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japanese motorcycle manufacturers are rushing to develop new power sources aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

While executives believe that motorcycles eventually will go electrified, the technology faces many hurdles.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that electrification would become mainstream in the industry’s final goal for achieving carbon neutrality,” Yamaha Motor Co. President Motofumi Shitara said.

Yamaha aims to have electric motorcycles account for about 30 pct of new motorcycles that it will put on sale by 2027. Last year, it announced the launch of four models of electric scooters.

Honda Motor Co. in autumn last year said that it will aim to increase the proportion of electric motorcycles in its overall motorcycle sales from the current 0.6 pct to 7 pct by fiscal 2030. In 2028, it plans to launch operations at an electric motorcycle-only plant in India.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]