Japanese industrial giant Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is moving forward with electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuelled motorcycles in its group vision plan for 2030. In a corporate progress report, Yasuhiko Hashimoto, President and Chief Executive Officer of KHI, parent company of KHI Motorcycle & Engine Company that makes Kawasaki motorcycles, touched on the changing social environment and growing environmental consciousness.
Currently, Kawasaki is developing the EV Endeavor, a pure electric motorcycle that comes with a four-speed gearbox to optimise motor torque and acceleration. Intended to be a technology demonstrator, the EV Endeavor mimics the performance of a traditional combustion engined motorcycle.
KHI will seek cooperation with other players in the industry for the development of electric and alternative fuel motorcycles, as well as collaborate on technologies like hybridisation. Efforts are also being made to seek alliances with other companies to promote KHI’s motorcycle and engine business, one example of which is the revitalisation of the Bimota brand.
A new company called Kawasaki Motors will be established in October, 2021, to focus KHI’s two-wheel business along with the establishment of “Kawasaki Plaza” stores to cultivate a new customer base via lifestyle branding. In Japan, 77 such stores have been established since 2017, leading to a 60% increase in customers in the 20-year old age group and an 80% increase in sales of motorcycles above 400 cc.
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