Kawasaki reveals prototype hybrid motorcycle
Kawasaki has revealed a prototype hybrid motorcycle which confirms that the Japanese motorcycle manufacturing giant's plans to introduce 10 new electric and hybrid models by 2025 and completely switch to electric by 2035, are well under way.
Kawasaki has, only recently, stated that by the year 2035 every major model sold in developed markets will be either fully electric or a hybrid. In the shorter term, the company aims to have more than 10 battery-electric and hybrid-electric motorcycle models in showrooms by 2025. This is big news, because this makes Kawasaki the first of the big four Japanese brands to signal its intent on completely phasing out ICE engines in its vehicle portfolio, whereas Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki to announce a future product strategy. The green team has also revealed that it will currently continue to develop hydrogen fuel technology for internal combustion engines.
In 2020, Kawasaki had showcased the EV Endeavor electric motorcycle prototype, post which, a production model is yet to be unveiled. The EV Endeavour's specs are yet to be confirmed, but the prototype is said to be based on the Ninja 400 and comes with a large electric motor fitted above the gearbox, connected to the transmission via a clutch. It can either provide drive or act as a generator to recharge the 48V battery unit that's mounted under the seat. Yes, the battery is small, because the idea is to allow the bike to run in pure electric mode at city speeds for short commutes or to boost the petrol engine's performance when more power is needed out on the highway. Kawasaki have also added a semi-automatic, pushbutton-operated transmission to the bike – probably to help smooth the transition between battery power, petrol power and combined hybrid power.