Honda electrifies … on two wheels!

Honda builds 3.7m cars a year, and has been a leader in electrification from the days of its groundbreaking Insight hybrid coupe of the late 90s through to the Honda E, eNY1 and Prelude of more recent times.
But Honda also builds 20m motorcycles a year, and because of that is the world’s largest producer of internal combustion engines. These two areas of expertise are now overlapping in a new generation of electric two-wheelers, teased with battery-powered scooters, now fully realised in its first zero-emissions motorcycle, the WN7. And from its fast-charging tech to its riding modes and adjustable regenerative braking it’s packed with features taken directly from Honda’s hybrid and electric cars.

What’s more you can ride it with nothing more than a one-day CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) course and L-plates, making it much more accessible than a regular motorbike. But also faster and more powerful, thanks to a quirk of the licence rules and how they apply to electric bikes.

We’ve been riding the WN7, and you can read our full review on the Autotrader bike pages. And for those who might never have considered a powered two-wheeler before it looks very tempting indeed, not to mention quiet, sustainable and very easy to ride.
As it stands electric motorcycles make up a pitiful proportion of overall bike sales here in the UK – could this overlap of motorcycle and car tech be the one to change it? If anyone can make it happen, Honda can!