Honda WN7 on Subscription Only: What Australia’s Model Means for Germany

• A 24-month subscription costs 400 Australian dollars per month (around 246 euros / 285 US dollars)
• Registration and insurance are included in the price, the partner is subscription provider Carbar
• In Germany the WN7 costs 15,409 euros (around 17,863 US dollars) including delivery

Anyone buying a new motorcycle automatically takes on a risk: nobody knows what the machine will be worth in three or five years. With combustion-engined motorcycles that figure can be estimated reasonably well from experience. With electric motorcycles it is a different story. Battery technology, charging performance and range are advancing quickly, and a model that is current today can be technically well behind within a few years. This is exactly where Honda is stepping in in Australia, taking an approach no major motorcycle manufacturer has taken before.

How does the Honda WN7 subscription in Australia work?

Honda Australia offers the WN7 through a subscription with a two-year term, with a monthly price of 400 Australian dollars (around 246 euros / 285 US dollars). Registration and insurance are included, and the whole thing is handled through a partnership with Australian subscription provider Carbar.

The manufacturer points out that the stated price is provisional and may still change. Honda also decides together with the subscription provider who gets a vehicle. Credit and eligibility criteria apply, and the number of machines is limited. Interested parties can currently register via a form. According to media reports, only 50 units are initially due to go to Australia, and the country is said to be the only market outside Europe in this first delivery round. Honda itself has not confirmed that figure so far and speaks only of limited availability.

Can you also buy the Honda WN7 in Australia?

Not so far. Honda Australia does not quote a purchase price for the WN7 and promotes the subscription exclusively. There is no regular model page with a ride-away price of the kind that is standard for other models in the Australian range.

That said, Honda has not explicitly ruled out later sales. It is conceivable that the first delivery goes entirely into the subscription programme and that the manufacturer follows up depending on the response. As long as Honda says nothing further, the subscription remains the only known way for Australian buyers to get hold of the motorcycle.

Why is Honda opting for a subscription in Australia of all places?

The subscription takes the depreciation risk away from the customer and shifts it to the provider. Anyone paying only on a monthly basis does not have to worry about what the machine will still be worth at the end.

Electric motorcycles have had a hard time in Australia so far. The reasons are said to be the high purchase price, the uncertain resale situation, questions about battery life and the rapid pace at which the technology is changing. All of that makes many potential buyers hesitate before investing a larger sum. A subscription lowers that barrier considerably, because no big one-off payment is needed. For Honda the model has a second advantage: the manufacturer finds out on a manageable scale whether there is enough interest in an electric naked bike at all, without dealers being left sitting on expensive stock.

What does the Honda WN7 cost in Germany?

In Germany the WN7 is listed at 14,780 euros (around 17,134 US dollars) ex works, and including delivery Honda asks 15,409 euros (around 17,863 US dollars). The price applies to both power variants, meaning both the A2 version and the A1 version restricted to 11 kW.

Anyone who does not want to pay the full sum at once can find financing and leasing offers through Honda Bank. One example promoted by dealers works with a down payment of around 7,690 euros, a payment break of 23 months and a final instalment of about 8,315 euros at an effective annual interest rate of 3.99 percent. That is a non-binding sample calculation rather than a fixed offer, but it shows the order of magnitude. Compared with the Australian subscription the difference is clear: there, 24 months add up to 9,600 Australian dollars (around 5,900 euros / 6,840 US dollars), and at the end the motorcycle does not belong to the rider. On the other hand, registration and insurance are already covered, which comes on top of a German financing deal.

Will the Honda WN7 be offered in the USA?

No. Honda has not put the WN7 into its North American line-up so far. The reason given was above all the thin charging infrastructure, which is a real problem for a motorcycle with limited range.

That leaves the American market out of the picture for now, even though electric motorcycles are sold there by other brands. A subscription along Australian lines would therefore only become a topic in the USA once Honda introduces the model there at all.

What are the drawbacks of a motorcycle subscription?

A subscription can work out more expensive than buying over a longer period, and no ownership is created. Anyone paying for two years ends up with nothing in the garage to show for it.

On top of that come the contractual conditions. Subscription models commonly include mileage limits or usage requirements, as well as rules covering damage and return. Honda has not given any details on this for the WN7 so far. Nor do the figures published to date make clear whether servicing, wear parts and tyres are included in the monthly price. Only registration and insurance are explicitly stated.

There are also conflicting statements about the term. On its own website Honda Australia explicitly refers to a two-year subscription and lists the 400 dollars a month as the price for a 24-month term. Media reports, by contrast, mentioned an offer with no fixed commitment that can be cancelled or changed with two weeks’ notice. That version has not been confirmed so far.

Would a subscription also be conceivable for the European market?

Technically there is nothing against it, but Honda has not officially announced such a step for Europe so far. In Germany, sales continue to run along the classic route of cash purchase, financing and leasing.

With cars the idea has long been part of everyday life. Leasing, financing with a balloon payment and salary sacrifice schemes have meant that many drivers no longer own their vehicle at all and simply use it. The motorcycle industry has already gone some way down this road with financing offers. A subscription would be the next step, and it would not be limited to electric models. It can be appealing with a combustion-engined motorcycle too, for instance for a single season or for riders who want to ride something different every year without having to deal with selling it. With electric motorcycles, though, the case is strongest, because that is where uncertainty about residual value is greatest.

What the WN7 offers technically

The WN7 is Honda’s first fully fledged electric motorcycle and is derived from the EV FUN Concept shown in Milan in 2024. The liquid-cooled electric motor peaks at 68 hp (50 kW), continuous output is 24.5 hp (18 kW), which makes the model A2-compliant. Maximum torque is 100 Nm (73.8 lb-ft). The fixed battery holds 9.3 kWh, power reaches the rear wheel via a belt, and there is no gearbox. For riders with an A1 licence or the German B196 code there is a variant with 11 kW continuous output.

Honda quotes a range of 140 km on the WMTC cycle, with the lower-powered version reaching 154 km. Riding reports have cited a real-world figure of around 95 to 100 km at a brisk pace. Charging is via Type 2 or CCS2, and a jump from 20 to 80 percent takes about 30 minutes on a fast charger. Kerb weight is 217 kg (around 478 lbs), seat height is 800 mm and top speed is 129 km/h. That makes the WN7 clearly designed for city use and short rides, and that is precisely what makes it a fitting candidate for a subscription: anyone using it for just two years does not have to worry about how battery technology develops.

Frequently Asked Questions