Kawasaki president Hiroshi Ito confirms hybrid and electric plans at EICMA

It’s been confirmed in the recent past that Kawasaki will be all-electric by 2035, and at EICMA 2021 president Hiroshi Ito reiterated their intention to launch three electric models in 2022. 

This will cumulate to 10 new electric and hybrid-powered machines (both motorcycles & scooters) by 2025, in view of becoming green-fuelled by 2035. 

Team Green really is looking to go Green.

They are some huge steps to be making, particularly as 2035 is right around the corner in development timeframes. Ito was keen to relay the fact that Kawasaki has already been presented with an electric prototype, and they have been working away behind the scenes on green fuels to power the business forward. 

Realistically we’d imagine the trailblazing trio for 2022 will consist of a couple of scooters, joined an ambitious motorcycle towards the tail end of next year. Scooters are a likely landing point as the technology is already there, and short distances are well within reason on 50-125cc equivalent machines. 

It was during the presentation of the new Ninja H2 SX and Versys 650 that we were also reminded of the hydrogen-powered hybrid developments, with the ‘river-marked’ firm eager to pursue hybrid technology - not limiting their future to purely electric propulsion. 

Whether that’s the Ninja 650 hybrid with an electric motor and 6-speed ‘box, or H2 hydrogen machine, the EV project could also result in some electric ATV and watercraft machines - of which Kawasaki are also keen to electrify. 

As the Green machine marches on towards ‘greener pastures’, there’s still time for the combustion engine motorcycles to benefit from advanced safety aids like radar detection and other artificially intelligent gadgets; like the new tech-packed Ninja H2 SX. 

We also got a chance to say hello to the Z650RS again!

Source and more: Motorrad, Italy 24 News, RideApart

Watch: Kawasaki Z650RS (2022) review