Honda Shine Electric Coming Soon; Patents Revealed

Gets swappable battery packs just like the Honda Activa e:

Quick News Highlights

• Honda’s Shine 100 could soon get an electric version

• Patent images show 2 removable batteries and a compact motor

• Will be Honda’s first electric bike in India

Honda appears to be preparing an affordable electric motorcycle based on its Shine commuter bike. Recent patent filings have surfaced, revealing the company’s plans to take a simple and cost-effective approach to electric mobility by making an electric bike based on the popular Honda Shine 100.

Budget Friendly

Instead of designing a brand-new electric bike from scratch, the brand seems to be following a more practical route by using a reworked version of the Honda Shine 100’s chassis. Developing a brand new chassis takes a lot of time, and is also an expensive affair. On the other hand, by using an already existing frame and modifying it shortens the development time, and is also relatively cheaper to research and develop the bike. 

Smart Packaging

The patents show that the Japanese manufacturer has replaced the petrol engine with an electric motor. Interestingly, the main frame of the bike remains largely similar to the petrol powered Honda Shine bike. The motor is located in the same position where the engine used to be, attached using the existing mounts. Expect the performance to be similar to that of the Shine 100.

Swappable Batteries

One of the more noticeable things in the Honda Shine patent images is the use of two small, removable battery packs. These are placed on either side of the middle section of the tubular frame, tilted forward in a way that resembles the engine layout of the petrol bike. The small space between the two batteries looks to be a passageway for air flow to cool the batteries, and also the electronic control system located just behind them.

The swappable battery pack weighs 10.2kg each. Whether having such a heavy battery pack high up on the motorcycle affects its handling remains to be seen, but we reckon Honda might engineer the bike in a way the weight isn’t felt. 

Banking On Expanding Infrastructure

The removable batteries go well with Honda’s growing battery swapping infrastructure in India. The company is rapidly expanding its network of swap stations in metro cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. The battery swap service currently supports only the Honda Activa e: electric scooter, but the upcoming Shine electric could also make use of this network.

Hopefully Honda prices the battery swap plans sensibly, unlike what they did with the electric Activa during its launch. They had to slash the prices and introduce new, more affordable plans later on.

Launch Timeline

Honda has not announced any launch timelines or official details yet, but these patent images offer a strong indication of the company’s plans. The approach of modifying an existing low-cost model like the Shine 100 could help Honda quickly enter the budget electric motorcycle space while taking advantage of its growing charging and swapping network.

Expected Price

That said, Honda will still have to test the EV properly - so expect the e-bike to be launched some time in 2028. If Honda were to ensure the Shine EV’s success, its pricing will be crucial. We suppose it could be priced at just under Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom).

BikeDekho Says

The electric bike segment is still growing in India, and there are no mainstream brands offering a commuter electric motorcycle in India. Honda’s development should give it the first-mover advantage, so to speak. Moreover, with an e-bike based on Shine, the Japanese brand will be able to make use of the Shine’s popularity to gain the trust of prospective customers quickly.

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