Identified by various names across the globe, sold in more than 160 countries, production assembly plants in 15 countries, and holding the distinction for the most-produced motor vehicle in history and continuous production since 1958, the Honda Cub is a legacy by itself. The icon from Japan has spread across almost all continents, has undergone multiple revisions and is currently offered in several variants. But, as they say, good things eventually come to an end, and so will be the case of the humble yet mighty Honda Cub. That’s because Honda has decided to end the production of the 50cc Cub owing to the stringent emission norms that are set to come into action by November 2025. The Japanese two-wheeler giant will be pulling the plug on the Cub in May 2025, which is about 11 months from now.
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Now, you might wonder why Honda cannot update the Cub’s powertrain to make it emission-compliant, right? Well, the answer is that they definitely can, but unfortunately, it’s not making sense in today’s age. You see, in Japan, Honda has a market share of about 80 per cent when it comes to motor vehicles that fall in this category. However, the market share isn’t directly proportional to the overall sales figures that are being registered. The reason for the decline in sales is largely due to the increasing popularity of electric two-wheelers.
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To give a perspective, during its peak, Honda Japan reportedly shipped 2.78 million units in 1982. And in addition to that, Honda achieved an overall production milestone of 100 million Cubs in 2017. In contrast to that, in 2023, Honda shipped only 92,824 units of the Cub. So, the numbers say it all, which has led to the division to discontinue the 50cc Cub in May 2025.
In conclusion, Honda will focus on the production of 125cc motorcycles or less in the future, and plan on introducing electric vehicle options to fill the void of the 50cc mopeds.
