A conglomerate of five Japanese firms have launched a company to create a standardised swappable batteries infrastructure for electric motorcycles.
Eneos Holdings, Honda Motor, Kawasaki Motors, Suzuki Motor Corporation and Yamaha Motor announced the new company named Gachaco on 1 April.
The firms aim to create a BaaS (Battery as a Service) platform for electric mobility and other battery recycling systems.
The aim is to allay concerns regarding charge times and range anxiety.
Honda, Kawasaki Motors, Suzuki and Yamaha Motor have agreed to a common specification for a swappable electric motorcycle battery.
Gachaco is scheduled to launch the sharing service using Honda Mobile Power Pack e: by the autumn, starting from Tokyo and other major cities in Japan.
Gachaco will also promote the use of standardised swappable batteries for other applications, such as storage batteries installed at commercial facilities and private homes.
Swappable battery plans
Last March, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha announced they would make batteries and replacement systems that could be swapped between all four of the member’s electric motorcycles.
The Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles, which was established in 2019, reached an agreement to allow battery sharing across brands to pave the way for the increased adoption of electric motorcycles in Japan.
Japanese OEMs agree to standard to share electric motorcycle batteries between brands
