Honda's ongoing efforts to perfect swappable e-motorbike batteries

author: FutureCar Staff    

The field of swappable batteries for electric motorbikes is experiencing significant growth, and Honda is making efforts to catch up with its own design. In an attempt to gain a larger share of the international market, Honda is introducing the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: (MPPe:) in Indonesia.

The Honda MPPe: is a swappable motorbike battery similar to the Gogoro-style battery, and it even comes with its own Gogoro-style battery cabinet called the Honda Power Pack Exchanger e: (HPPEe:).

Honda has been slow to embrace electric vehicles, both in the car and motorcycle divisions, for several years.

The swappable battery system developed by Honda has been around for a few years, but it has not been widely used outside of a few local Japanese trials until recently. By collaborating with Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki to create a swappable battery consortium, Honda aims to position its battery as a competing standard.

Honda has attempted to introduce this battery into Europe through the Honda EM1 electric scooter, and now the company is targeting Indonesia.

Indonesia has a large population of 275 million, with the majority of households using motorbikes for commuting. Although electric vehicles make up a small percentage of the market, the availability of more options is helping to increase the number of EVs in Indonesia. Honda wants to enter this market by bringing its EM1 electric motorbike to Indonesia.

Honda appears to be offering the EM1 for sale in Indonesia with or without batteries. If purchased without batteries, the EM1 would likely rely on battery swapping subscriptions. The price of the EM1 without batteries is approximately US $2,600, while the package with batteries included is priced closer to US $2,930.

Honda's battery swapping cabinets operate similarly to Gogoro's, with the exception that they do not automatically recognize the user and scooter by reading information stored in the batteries. Instead, users will need to swipe a membership card to activate the station and swap batteries.

In conclusion, it is encouraging to see Honda taking electric motorbikes more seriously. However, the proliferation of multiple "standards" for swappable batteries raises questions about the necessity of so many options. While it is understandable that relying on a single company to manage and profit from a battery standard has drawbacks, having numerous types of swappable batteries also has its disadvantages. Honda is still in the early stages of development and seems to be following Gogoro's footsteps by entering countries where Gogoro has already established itself. Gogoro has achieved impressive numbers in terms of battery swaps, indicating that they have a solid understanding of the market, while other companies are still testing the waters. Some companies even design their scooters to accommodate Gogoro's batteries, further suggesting that the industry may already be favoring a winner.

FutureCar Staff