It can be hard to get excited about a new scooter design for the 2018 model year, especially when so many other crazy machines are being unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show today (new Honda Gold Wing, Yamaha’s three-wheeled motorcycle of awesome, and the Kawasaki Ninja 400…just to name a few), but give us a minute here.

One of the less-publicized releases from Big Red caught our attention today, two scooters in fact: the Honda PCX Electric and the Honda PCX Hybrid. As the names suggest, both machines are built off the same basic concept, though they differ in their drivetrain.

The Honda PCX Electric is an electric scooter that is equipped with a high-output motor, which was independently developed by Honda.

The PCX Electric also uses the Honda’s Mobile Power Pack, which is a detachable and swappable battery system that Honda is trying to standardize for its various models.

Interestingly enough, Honda plans to bring the PCX Scooter to market for 2018, in the Asian region (including Japan).

Perhaps more interesting though is the Honda PCX Hybrid, which as you can guess uses a gas/electric hybrid drive system – the first production two-wheeler to our knowledge to do so (if you can think of another, let us know in the comments).

Honda has again developed this PCX drivetrain in house, undoubtedly drawing upon its experience with hybrid vehicles in the four-wheeled space.

Honda says that its hybrid system employs a high-output battery and ACG starter, in order to assist the engine. This is said to create a “torqueful” riding experience, though details on power specs are light at the moment.

Like its electric counterpart, the Honda PCX Hybrid is scheduled to go on sale in 2018 in the Asia region, including Japan.

Honda PCX Electric:

Honda PCX Hybrid:

Source: Honda