A launch ceremony for Honda-branded electric motorcycles took place in Ho Chi Minh City for two days this week without the knowledge of the Vietnamese unit of the Japanese automobile and motorcycle manufacturer, Honda Vietnam Company.

The event, featuring the opportunity to test-drive what organizers claimed to be “genuine Honda electric motorcycles,” was held at the Culture Center on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 3 on December 18 and 19.

The introduction of these electric motorcycles caught the public’s attention and received shares on Facebook by people excited that the prominent Japanese automobile and motorcycle manufacturer, Honda Motor Company, was behind the show.

The vehicles exhibited at the show were mainly small-size electric motorcycles advertised as having several modern features such as high-durability U-shaped motorcycle chassis, bodies made of new ABS plastic, and high water resistance.

Their electric motorcycles only weighed about 82 kilograms and could reach a maximum speed of 50 km/h. Show organizers also claimed the motorcycles could run for 50 kilometers per charge and offered a three-year warranty.

Visitors could purchase the electric motorcycles for VND22.5-23.5 million (US$968-1,011) each.

Visitors watch the Honda-branded electric motorcycles exhibited at the launch ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Like many visitors to the event, Nguyen Van Tai, a resident in District 3, could not help wondering about a strange name, “Wuyang,” put above the “Honda” make on the vehicles.

In addition, Tai also noticed that the electric motorcycle batteries displayed at the spare parts booths all had Chinese characters.

Addressing these questions, N., an attendant at the show, said that “the current Wuyang electric motorcycle factory is located in China, but its products are in line with Honda’s standards.”

Honda tested the quality of these motorcycles before they were shipped out of the factory, N. claimed, “so you don't worry about the quality [of these electric motorcycles].”

Meanwhile, Honda Vietnam claims to have had no information about the event, according to a representative of the company.

The strange name “Wuyang” is put above the “Honda” make on the vehicles. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The representative denied any involvement in the show, adding that the showcased electric motorcycles were neither manufactured, imported, nor distributed by the company.

“Honda Vietnam is checking with Honda Motor Company in Japan about the importer and distributor of these electric motorcycles,” the representative said.

According to its website, Wuyang-Honda Motors is a joint venture founded in 1992 by Guangzhou Motors Group Company and Japan’s Honda Motor in Guangzhou, China.

The company’s website also positions it as one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in China.

Meanwhile, Honda Vietnam is a joint venture founded by Honda Motor, Thailand-based Asian Honda Motor and Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery (VEAM) Corporation in 1996, specializing in both motorcycle and automobile production, according to the company’s website.

An electric motorcycle battery displayed at the spare parts booths has Chinese characters. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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