Affordable New Honda Electric Motorcycle Revealed In Patents

In July 2025, patent images filed by Honda revealed an electric motorcycle based on the chassis of the made-in-India Honda Shine 100. The Shine 100 is one of the most affordable and simple models in Honda’s motorcycle range. Now, a new patent from Honda seems to suggest that it may be developing yet another low-cost electric motorcycle, designed specifically for developing markets.

Also Read: Is An Electric Honda Shine Being Worked On?

While Honda hasn’t made much headway in the electric scooter segment, this new patent seems to underscore Honda’s future strategy for the electric motorcycle segment. And Honda’s belief, as more than one patent suggests, seems to be that running costs and purchase costs go hand in hand to make mass-market products more widely acceptable, particularly in developing markets.

Also Read: Honda WN7 Electric Motorcycle Unveiled

The latest patent images seem to be of an electric version based on a low-cost petrol-powered model that Honda currently sells in Africa. From the patent images, the design reveals enough details to suggest that it’s a real project. Like the Honda Shine electric, the silhouette of the new motorcycle seems to be based on the Honda Ace 125, a mass-market model manufactured in Nigeria which has been on sale since 2011. It is sold in several other African markets.

The electric motorcycle uses the existing backbone-style frame from the Ace 125 with batteries fitted on either side and an electric motor fitted in the space typically used for the engine and transmission. What Honda seems to be trying to get patent protection specifically for appears to be the battery mounting system.

The solution in Honda’s patents, is to make the batteries easily removable, allowing them to be taken indoors overnight for charging or to be swapped for re-charged batteries, but also make them secure and theft-proof, despite being mounted in exposed cages on either side of the bike.

Honda seems to have designed a simple locking system with durable cages for the batteries which also act as “crash guards” to protect the batteries in the event of an accident. The battery cage hinges on the frame’s downtube at the front and is designed to swing open to give access to the batteries. With both batteries installed, the cages swing closes, securing them into the sides of the motorcycle.

There don’t appear to be any fancy electronics, and even the braking set-up is basic at best, with cable-actuated brakes with a front and rear drum set-up. Other components like the headlight, seat, handlebar and suspension seem to be shared with the petrol-powered model.

So far, there’s no word on when this new Honda electric motorcycle will see production, and if it does, which markets will it be launched in. One thing is clear though – Honda’s electric motorcycle strategy will be focussed on mass-market inexpensive commuter products going forward, rather than on expensive and premium, performance-oriented electric motorcycles.