A consortium of motorcycle OEMs are joining forces to define the standardised technical specifications of swappable lithium-ion battery system for vehicles.
Honda, KTM, Piaggio and Yamaha Motor have signed a letter of intent to create a Swappable Batteries Consortium for Motorcycles and Light Electric Vehicles belonging to the L-category: mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles.
The consortium will start its activity in May.
By extending the range, shortening the charging time and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs, the manufacturers will try to answer concerns regarding the future of electromobility that sit alongside the broader context of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Consortium will be involved in the creation of international technical standards by working closely with relevant stakeholders and National, European and International standardisation bodies.
The four founding members encourage all interested stakeholders to join the cooperation to enrich the consortium’s expertise.
Stefan Pierer, KTM CEO, said: “For powered two-wheelers the constraints of electric drivetrains regarding range, charging time and initial cost are still evident.
“To overcome these challenges and provide a better customer experience, a swappable battery system, based on international technical standards, will become a viable solution.
“Considering the entire lifecycle, a widespread application of batteries, compliant with a common standard, will support secondary use as well as circular economy.”
Noriaki Abe, managing officer, motorcycle operations, Honda Motor, said: “For the widespread adoption of electric motorcycles, problems such as travel distance and charging times need to be addressed, and swappable batteries are a promising solution. Considering customer convenience, standardisation of swappable batteries and wide adoption of battery systems is vital.”
