Honda has - sort of - electrified the Cub, but it's only in China for now
Honda has announced the MS01, an affordable, simple, low-powered moped to be marketed in China with 5,000 original units.
The Honda Cub is one of the most important motorcycles of all-time. It has sold over 100 million units since its production began in 1958, and its marketing campaigns changed the perception of not only Honda, but of motorcycles in general.
As an underbone, its spiritual home is South East Asia, where small-capacity bikes are the key to navigating hectic and chaotic cities.
But, even in America it proved a valuable tool for Honda, as the object of a marketing campaign which changed the face of Honda in the US.
Between 1963 and 1975, the Cub was advertised with the slogan “You meet the nicest people on a Honda.” The campaign is still used as a case study today.
The Cub was also successful as it was a mass-produced motorcycle that was accessible for pretty much anyone thanks to its simplicity, low cost, and low power.
Back in 2009 at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda showcased the EV-Cub concept. The name is of course a give-away as to the difference between this Cub and an ordinary Cub: the power comes from an electric motor, rather than an internal combustion engine.
That was 13 years ago, but now the push to electric is intensifying. The end of combustion sales in Europe from 2035 is a factor, and no doubt manufacturers are looking at the difficulties people face in filling up their combustion vehicles with fuel and seeing that electrics are perfectly placed to take advantage of that.
For Honda, this has also resulted in a collaboration with the electronics producer, Sony, to create electric vehicles which combine the two companies’ specialities.
For the Cub, so far this does not appear to mean much at all for now, but in China Honda is preparing something which could be compared to the Cub.
Called the MS01, this new electric moped from Honda would cost just £625, according to Supermoto8, although for now it appears it will be marketed solely in China.
The MS01 is also a collaborative project for Honda, between itself and Muji - a Japanese producer of consumer goods. The attempt is clear: to offer an affordable - and sustainable - transport option for people who only need to undertake short journeys (its range is just 65km).
For now, the MS01 will be limited to 5,000 units, but from the price it is clear that this should not be an exclusive. Those 5,000 MS01s will presumably be the forerunner to a larger rollout of the machine, or a bike derived from it. And perhaps that will lead it outside of China, too.
Images courtesy of Supermoto8.
