In a somewhat shocking move, Kawasaki said it’s going to make all of its bikes electrified by 2035 in developed countries.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia, Kawasaki wants to be the green leader in developed countries.
This move comes after the motorcycle company spun off of the parent company. This repositions the motorcycle business, but there are still huge hurdles ahead.
All-Electric Kawasaki
The move to go all-electric is an ambitious one. 2035 isn’t far away and currently, there are no electric motorcycles in its lineup. Kawasaki plans to have 10 by 2025.
I recently reported on the hydrogen tech the company is working on and have previously discussed its electric bike and hybrid bike efforts, but I expected this to still be many years away.
Kawasaki is going all in. The countries in which it will go all-electric include Japan, Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Kawasaki has a goal of hitting $9 billion in sales. In order to do that and hit its electrification goals. It will expand production. In North America, that means expanding production at its current facility and building a new facility in Mexico.
The focus won’t be only on on-road bikes. Off-road vehicles and off-road motorcycle interest have exploded recently. COVID-19 drove some of that, and that’s likely where Kawasaki sees some of this potential growth.
“Outdoor leisure activity has been popular during the COVID pandemic. We will strengthen our environmental efforts with our sights set on post-pandemic lifestyles,” explained Yasuhiko Hashimoto, president of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
Kawasaki’s president Hiroshi Ito said that there are some partnerships that could come in the future too, though nothing specific was identified. “Our company is open.”
It will be very interesting to see how this comes to fruition. As I said, 2035 is not far away (14 years away). Granted 14 years is a lifetime for new motorcycles, but it still seems like a quick turnaround to transform the entire company.
That said, I’m not opposed to it. I love electric motorcycles and ultimately this is a smart move by Kawasaki. The shift to electrified vehicles is happening bot in powersports and the automotive industry. It’s cool to see Kawasaki embracing it.
