As the world changes gears to boost the number of EVs, Kawasaki announced that it will sell only electric motorcycles in developed countries by 2035. The announcement came in Tokyo at a business policy briefing discussion, and was reported on by various Asian media outlets. Kawasaki has yet to confirm the plans officially.
Some may see it as a lofty goal, as they have yet to have an electric product in the modern marketplace. But in 2019, Kawasaki showed their first electric motorcycle concept at the EICMA Milan motorcycle show. And its 2019 patent application for swappable batteries appears to be based on its Ninja 400 model. Power-wise, it would produce 10 kW (13 hp) continuous and 20 kW (27 hp) peak power, and have only a 100 km range, which is far from impressive.
Kawasaki’s aspirational goal of launching 10 new electric motorcycles by 2025, only four years away, might end up being unrealistic, given that there’s not one yet in production. But a clear indication of Kawasaki’s intentions came earlier this year, when it joined a consortium of major motorcycle manufacturers in a standardized battery-swapping agreement, which also included the likes of Honda, Yamaha, Ducati and others. Now that Harley-Davidson already offers its all-electric LiveWire, it seems every major manufacturer has plans for a move to electric motorcycles.
Kawasaki electric motorcycle concept at the 2019 EICMA show in Milan
