One of the most intriguing pieces of news to come out of EICMA was, by most accounts, a new concept from Honda. Maybe you find that surprising, particularly if you're one of the many who've criticized Honda for playing it too safe in recent years. And yet, Team Red didn't get where it is today without maintaining the ability to pull out a few surprises here and there, like its wild V3 concept.
Upon introduction, despite Honda's official press release referring to it as having an "electric turbocharger," this of course immediately generated controversy (on the Internet? NEVER!) about Team Red's chosen nomenclature.
I'm not here to debate the issue. But, I will tell you that watching Honda Motor Company's Motorcycle and Power Products Division Chief Officer Minoru Kato and its Motorcycle and Power Products Electrification Business Unit Head Daiki Mihara give an update on the state of Honda Motorcycles was pretty informative about where the terminology comes from.
Because yes, they did actually talk about the V3 during their question and answer session, and you'll want to know what they had to say. More on that in a minute.
For now, I want to point out that Kato-san himself refers to the device as a "電動ターボ", which romanizes to "dendou tabo," and translates to "electric turbo." That's where it comes from: The man, himself.
But Wait, That Means There Was a Honda V3 Update, Right?
Yes! And for anyone who's only read the official Honda presentation document that gives details on its worldwide sales, its projections, and its plans to open its first dedicated EV-only motorbike factory in India, I'm afraid you've missed out on some of the most interesting stuff from the event.
See, the actual Honda Motorcycle and Power Products presentation only lasted about 20 or so minutes, give or take. And it's full of useful information for industry wonks, to be sure. But the more interesting stuff absolutely came in the remaining 40-odd minutes of Q&A with the Japanese press that took place directly after the presentation. You won't find that in the presentation PDF.
In the Q&A, Kato-san was asked about the V3 concept, and he smiled and laughed as he announced that he actually had the chance to ride a prototype of this bike about two weeks ago. It was at Honda's Kumamoto factory, where many of its motorcycles are currently made.
And more importantly, he mentioned that there will be future updates to come, and that Honda is actively working toward creation of a production model of this bike. While he didn't give a timeline, that's kind of a big deal since motorcycle concepts have a long history of breaking all our fun-loving hearts by only ever staying concepts.
One other crucial point raised in the Q&A session regarded the possibility of new US tariffs. Honda produces motorcycles for the US market in multiple factories throughout its global network. Some 110cc models, as well as dirt bikes, are produced by the Honda plant in Mexico for the US market, said Kato.
He went on to add that if the proposed tariffs against goods made in Mexico do go through, those motorcycle models will be affected since Honda currently does not plan to move its production of those bikes elsewhere. He also added that plans may change in the future, but that this is the current plan for the moment.
There was also a lot of information given about Honda's EV plans, beyond the simple fact of the new factory plans in India. For one thing, Mihara-san effectively said something like "I shouldn't really be telling you this" right after mentioning that the EV Fun Concept is targeted for release sometime down the line in 2025. Meanwhile, he also added that the EV Urban Concept should follow not long after, probably sometime in 2026.
It's only January, to be sure, but that still seems like it's quite soon. I, for one, look forward to finding out more about all three of these vehicles as they make their way toward production.
Which one are you most excited to ride? If it's all of them, that's cool, too. Tell us about it in the comments!
