Beyond E20: Honda bets on flex fuel with India’s first E85-ready scooter

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India on Friday unveiled the country’s maiden flex-fuel scooter, the ADV160, as the Japanese automaker looks to expand its flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) lineup. Flex-fuel vehicles can run on E85, a fuel blend comprising 85% ethanol and 15% petrol.

The Honda ADV 160 will be India's first scooter to support up to E85 fuel and will offer an 8.1-litre fuel tank and 27-litre under-seat storage, both positioned as segment-leading features.

The ADV160 will be manufactured in India as part of Honda's "Made in India, for India and the World" strategy.
This will be Honda’s second FFV in India after the automaker launched the CB300F Flex Fuel motorbike in 2024. However, the motorbike was discontinued as E85 fuel was not available until June 2026.

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"We follow the government's direction. Today it is E20. We will prepare for E25 and flex-fuel vehicles," Tsutsumu Otani, President and CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, told BT in an interview.

Honda Motorcycles is the country’s second-largest two-wheeler maker by volume after Hero MotoCorp.

Honda is prioritising customer growth over market share as it expands its premium and alternative-fuel portfolio in India, said Otani. "The important thing is not market share. The important thing is increasing our user base... customer satisfaction and customer care,” he said.

The automaker plans to take a measured approach to electric motorcycles. "Motorcycle customers and scooter customers use their vehicles differently. We are carefully studying those usage patterns,” said Otani.

On being asked about the limited success of Honda’s battery swap electric scooters, Otani said the battery swapping model has “not been so good” for the company.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has also unveiled an expanded portfolio of 10 motorcycles and scooters for the Indian market - seven all-new models and three refreshed models with new colour options. The lineup spans cruising, adventure touring, roadsters, lifestyle-oriented riding, electric and flex fuel mobility, addressing diverse customer needs across multiple segments.

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Announcing the new models, Otani said India has become far more than a major market for Honda, emerging as a global manufacturing and innovation hub. India contributes roughly a third of Honda's global two-wheeler volumes.

"This 10-product portfolio offers a wide range of mobility solutions and reinforces Honda's multi-pathway approach, with advanced ICE vehicles, electric mobility solutions and flex-fuel technologies designed to address diverse customer needs and varying infrastructure readiness," said Otani.

The localisation of these models marks a significant milestone in HMSI’s journey, reinforcing its focus on strengthening product development, engineering and manufacturing capabilities in India.

"This allows us to bring Honda's global technologies closer to Indian customers while reinforcing India's role as an important manufacturing and export hub within Honda's global operations," Otani explained.