Is Honda Planning to Launch Electric Car in Pakistan?
Honda Atlas has recently launched its first crossover SUV, HR-V, in Pakistan. The car was launched in two variants, while the company stated that it would also launch the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) variant; however, the consumers have to wait for almost 8 to 9 months. Meanwhile, there are hint on Honda electric car in Pakistan, although the company has just launched Honda HR-V EV in Thailand.
The new Empreinte’ e: N’ is a newly introduced term in the EV market, where “e” highlights electric (electricity) and energy (power) while “N” comes with New (the next evolution). Furthermore, the standard variant of the car is powered with a lithium-ion battery pack laced with a capacity of 53.6 kWh providing a range of up to 420 kilometers, producing 180 horsepower (hp) and 310 Newton-meters (Nm). The upper variant of the car is equipped with a 68.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a range of 510 km producing 201 horsepower.
You can read about this Honda HR-V EV here.
A Survey on Honda Electric Car?
The biggest question for us is, will we get a Honda electric car? We are asking the question because of an online survey by the company. In the survey titled: “Customer Survey for Potential of HEVs & EVs,” Honda asked about different cars, currently owned vehicles, what a consumer looks into a car, and usage of the personal car, among other questions.
In the last part of the survey, Honda focused on hybrid electric and electric cars. Here are some of the questions the survey has asked.
Then the survey asks about factors for considering electric vehicles.
Then it talks about the factors which could discourage owning an EV.
The survey then asks the consumer which company they would prefer if they launched an electric vehicle in Pakistan.
And finally, the survey hints about the possible price and what the consumer would want in the car in this specific price range. The company has mentioned the price range of Rs. 90 lacs to Rs. 100 lacs for the potential EV, which could be a hint.
It is pertinent to mention that alongside HR-V EV, the other most famous Honda electric car in the world is Honda-e, which is a hatchback with electric motor generating 151hp and 315Nm of torque. The small car has 35.5kWh battery with range of 211 kilometers/charge with top speed of 144km/hour.
Honda also claims that the car reaches 0 to 100 kilometers in only 8.3 seconds.
What We Think
There could be two possibilities, one, Honda Atlas is planning to launch an electric vehicle in Pakistan in the next couple of years, and second, which is more probable, the company is checking the pulse of Pakistani consumers regarding HEV. As we mentioned earlier, Honda has announced the launch of HR-V HEV in Pakistan next year, and this survey could give an idea to the company about what consumers want and whether they are waiting for the HEV.
We have asked Honda Atlas about the survey, and the company has stated that it has no link with this survey. “It has either been done by some student or someone else, this is not Honda’s style,” the official told us.
What do you think about this survey? Will we get a Honda electric car in Pakistan? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.