The 2035 deadline for the phasing out of internal combustion engines in motorcycles and automobiles is nothing new, but it is inching ever nearer, and as evidence, manufacturer involvement in developing electric models is ramping up. Despite that, the manufacturers realize that convincing the motorcycle-riding population that electric motorcycles can give the same thrills as petrol-driven ones are going to be an uphill struggle, but it is one they have to attempt as the legislation is not going anywhere. Into 2023, most of the major motorcycle manufacturers will all have either electric or hybrid models on sale or at advanced stages of development so here is a run-down of what you might expect to see.

1 Kawasaki

Kawasaki Electric Motorcycles Studio shot
Kawasaki

Of the Japanese ‘Big Four’ manufacturers, Kawasaki appears to have the most complete plans in place for an electric or hybrid future, with plans to launch 10 new ‘green’ models between now and 2025. Given that the company also plans to launch 30 petrol-driven motorcycles in the same period, shows us that internal combustion engines are not about to disappear until they have to due to legislation. The first electric models to appear at the 2022 EICMA show in Italy, were ‘Z’-family naked and ‘Ninja’-family faired motorcycles with an electric motor that is the equivalent of a 125cc petrol engine. The new models utilize twin-battery set-ups with a total capacity of 3.0kWh. Additionally, both will have removable batteries that can be either swapped directly for fully-charged replacements from a battery bank or charged remotely in your home or office. Being relatively small, they are clearly aimed at the urban commuter market, but a third model revealed at EICMA has a hybrid drivetrain that will be more suited to long distance travel. The electric models are slated to be in showrooms in 2023, while the hybrid might only appear in 2024, at the earliest. The hybrid route is important as electric-only will likely be enforced in cities in the beginning, so a motorcycle that can run on electric only in a city and then convert to petrol on more open roads will ease the transition to full electric in the future.

2 Yamaha

Yamaha NEOS studio shot
Yamaha

Yamaha has previously drifted into the realms of fantasy for its future motorcycles, including trying to reinvent the handlebar and developing self-balancing motorcycles. Of more relevance right now is the E01 electric scooter which is already on sale in Japan and should spread to the rest of the world in 2023. Already available in Europe is the Neos electric scooter, roughly the equivalent of a 50cc petrol engine in terms of performance and clearly aimed solely at the urban rider. Scooters are a large slice of Yamaha’s motorcycle business so it makes sense for the company to be concentrating on that market at the outset. Who knows, they might even forego the larger motorcycle market altogether, although that seems unlikely.

Related: 15 Best Electric Motorcycles

3 Honda

Honda Electric Bike Studio image
Honda

With a global market share of at least 25-percent, Honda’s silence on the matter of electrification while its rivals are making much more noise has been rather surprising. With such a significant share of the market, however, even Honda’s modest target of 15-percent of all motorcycle sales by 2030 being electric still equates to 3.5 million motorcycles, so they have to make sure they get it right the first time. Like Kawasaki, Honda plans to have 10 electric models on sale between now and 2025, most of which are scooters that won’t be available outside of Japan, but also in the pipeline are a larger naked bike and a Rebel-style cruiser. What makes Honda’s approach different to many of the manufacturers is as a consequence of its importance in poorer third-world territories. In these, the change-over to electric has no deadline so the internal combustion engine will still reign supreme. With that in mind, Honda is concentrating on developing synthetic fuels which will have zero impact on the environment.

4 Ducati

Ducati MotoE static shot
Ducati

Of all the manufacturers, Ducati possibly has the most to lose from the switch to electric, given its reputation for building fast, loud, and supremely ‘mechanical’ motorcycles. Not that electric-powered motorcycles are slow, of course, but Ducati is being very protective of its reputation and, up to now, has been reticent on its electric plans. That there must be plans is inevitable given the impending legislation, but Ducati realizes it has to get it right the first time if it is not to turn away its core fan base. With that in mind, it will be several years before we see an electric Ducati road bike but what will happen in 2023 is Ducati becoming the supplier of electric race bikes for the MotoE championship in place of current supplier Energica. This is the perfect proving ground for Ducati’s electric technology and will help establish Ducati’s electric program in the minds of its supporters. The prototype looks very much like the current Panigale model, although Ducati is reluctant to admit a road-going version could appear any time soon. Another development is the Ducati 860-E Concept which, whilst not an official Ducati project, is also something that the manufacturer has made no attempt to distance itself from.

Related: Honda’s First Electric CBR1000RR Is Just As Gorgeous As The Real Deal

5 Livewire

Livewire Del Mar static shot
Livewire

Harley-Davidson took everyone by surprise by being the first major manufacturer to commit to a road-going production electric bike, the Livewire. Now a brand standing on its own, as the parent company re-committed itself to its core ICE cruiser range, Livewire heads into 2023 with a brand-new model designed around a modular platform, called the Arrow. Smaller and more affordable, the first model to appear is the Del Mar, with distinct flat tracker-inspired styling and more models will appear in the months and years to come. Harley-Davidson might have been ahead of the curve with the Livewire and perhaps the market wasn’t quite ready for it, as the slow sales seem to indicate, but there is every chance the market will grow quickly enough for Harley’s investment to pay off in the future. Certainly, the Livewire One and Del Mar are going straight for the large-bike market rather than fiddling around with scooters in order to prove the concept and this could just be the crucial element in their efforts.

6 KTM/Husqvarna

Husqvarna E-Pilen Concept
Husqvarna

Given that they are both owned by the Pierer Group, Europe’s largest motorcycle company, it makes sense to lump KTM and Husqvarna into one entry. KTM has offered a range of electric off-road motorcycles for some time, and, in 2019, the company promised it would have a sporty electric motorcycle on sale by 2022/2023. After that announcement, however, nothing more was heard on that score, although an electric version of the 125 Duke, called the E-Duke, has been seen testing in India. This is KTM’s version of the Husqvarna E-Pilen which is significant as normally the models are the other way round, with Husqvarnas being re-styled KTMs: the E-Pilen is a stand-alone Husqvarna model and the KTM equivalent E-Duke will appear later. Husqvarna is also developing the Vektorr, which is based on the Bajaj Chetak scooter: the KTM group has a significant tie-in with Indian giant Bajaj. The Vektorr is slated to appear in 2023 and is a scooter for urban use, while the E-Pilen will be a roadster design.

Related: Davinci's New Electric Motorcycle Will Fill Your Heart With Lust and Desire

7 Piaggio

Vespa Elettrica studio shot
Piaggio

Strangely, for one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturing groups, Piaggio, which manufactures Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Gilera, and Derbi, has been relatively silent on the migration to electric motive power. Already available is the Piaggio 1 electric scooter and the beautiful Vespa Elettrica, both of which are perfect for the urban environment and which will no doubt be bought in increasingly huge numbers by faithful Italians, not to mention the Piaggio Apé commercial tricycle. But as to how the more sporting brands of Aprilia and Moto Guzzi will look in the electric future is still open to conjecture and surmise.

8 BSA

BSA Gold Star 650 static shot
BSA

Hang on: BSA? Hasn’t that manufacturer just reappeared with a super-retro, 650cc, single-cylinder recreation of the famed Gold Star, albeit in a much softer road-only iteration than the famed 1950s racer? How are we to expect BSA to jump straight from that to an electric model? What many people have forgotten, however, is that, back in 2019, when Mahindra first mooted the return of BSA, the plan was for a range of electric models only, with no mention of petrol engines. Both Covid and slow development of the electric powertrain put paid to those plans, at least for the first generation of BSA motorcycles but, according to BSA itself, the second generation could very well be electric. Quite when that will appear is anyone’s guess but how amazing would it be to be riding around on a thoroughly modern motorcycle with one of the oldest names in motorcycling on the tank!

Related: 2022 Battle Of The Electric Adventure Bikes: 2023 Zero DSR/X vs Energica Experia

9 BMW

BMW CE.04 riding shot
BMW

BMW has been toying with electric since 2016 when it revealed its NEXT100 Vision. That might have been a concept only - and a pretty radical concept at that - but it did give some indications of which direction BMW’s thinking was going. 2023 should see the launch of the CE.04 electric maxi-scooter, which not only features modern technology but also a futuristic design. Then there will be the CE.02, which will be a small urban motorcycle in the vein of the Honda Grom, while BMW is also working with Indian partner TVS, with whom it builds the G310 range, to develop a range of electric models.

10 Can Am

Can Am Origin and Pulse static shot
Can Am

Can Am hasn’t played in the two-wheeled segment for nearly 30 years, the brand concentrating on its three-wheeled models exclusively. However, with the rise of electric, parent company BRP, Inc. has announced that it will invest time, money, and resources into developing a range of electric two-wheelers aimed right at Harley-Davidson and Livewire. Two models have been revealed so far, the Origin and Pulse: the Origin looking like a middleweight adventure bike and the Pulse a road-going roadster. However, it is not certain whether these new models will be seen in 2023 or 2024. We can only hope for an earlier date.