Honda's ongoing efforts with 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 by designing its own battery. Honda's Mobile Power Pack e: (MPPe:) is being introduced in Indonesia as part of the company's strategy to expand its international market share.

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

While Honda has been slow to embrace electric vehicles, this is not limited to cars but also includes its motorcycle division.

Although Honda has developed a swappable battery system several years ago, it has only recently gained traction outside of a few local Japanese trials. Honda, along with Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki, formed a swappable battery consortium, indicating its intention to position its battery as a competing standard.

Honda has previously attempted to introduce this battery in Europe through the Honda EM1 electric scooter, and now it aims to enter the Indonesian market.

Indonesia has a population of 275 million, with a majority of households relying on motorbikes for commuting. While electric vehicles are still a small portion of the market, the availability of more options is helping to increase the number of electric vehicles in Indonesia. Honda wants to participate in this growth by introducing its EM1 electric motorbike to the country.

Honda appears to offer the EM1 for sale in Indonesia with or without batteries. The package without batteries is priced at around US $2,600, while the package with batteries included is priced closer to US $2,930. It is likely that the package without batteries would require a battery-swapping subscription.

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

While it is encouraging to see Honda taking electric motorbikes more seriously, it raises questions about the necessity of multiple standards for swappable batteries. While it is understandable that relying on a single company for managing and profiting from a battery standard has drawbacks, having numerous types of swappable batteries also has its disadvantages. Honda is still in the early stages and appears to be following Gogoro's footsteps by entering countries where Gogoro has established itself. Gogoro has achieved impressive numbers with nearly half a million battery swaps per day and is approaching half a billion battery swaps, suggesting that they have a solid understanding of the market while other companies are still exploring their options. Some companies even design their scooters to accommodate Gogoro's batteries, indicating that the industry may already be leaning towards a winner.

FutureCar Staff