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In a major step toward advancing electric mobility in India, Honda Motor Company has unveiled plans to launch its first battery electric car, the ‘O Series Alpha,’ in 2027. Alongside, the automaker has introduced a new regional battery sourcing strategy under which it will import battery cells from Indonesia instead of China to ensure supply chain stability.
Speaking at the Japan Mobility Show, Honda President and CEO Toshihiro Mibe said, “Even though we are using CATL technology, the battery cells will be produced in Indonesia and brought to India. So effectively, our batteries will come from Indonesia, not China.”
India’s EV industry currently relies heavily on China for battery cells, posing a major risk to supply chains amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. To address this, several automakers are now exploring alternative sourcing options across Asia, particularly after facing disruptions in the supply of rare earth magnets and advanced cell components.
While the Indian government has launched incentive schemes to encourage local battery production, domestic manufacturing of cells is still in its early stages. Recently, Maruti Suzuki flagged the lack of domestic battery cell production as a key challenge in its EV strategy.
Honda is implementing a regional battery sourcing approach across the world. In North America, it has a joint venture with LG Energy Solution and is constructing a battery manufacturing plant in Ohio.
“We will procure batteries regionally in the most optimal way. For North America, from LG; for China, from CATL; and for Japan, domestic suppliers,” Mibe explained.
Additionally, Honda plans to launch 10 new models in India by 2030, including both battery electric and hybrid vehicles.
“We aim to strengthen our hybrid lineup for India as well,” Mibe added. “Across gasoline, hybrid, and EV technologies, our goal is to offer attractive and sustainable mobility options to Indian customers.”
