Honda to start battery sharing service for electric autos in India next year

Honda Motor Co announced on Friday that it plans to start a battery sharing service for electric three-wheelers in the country in the first half of 2022. The company aims to use its Honda Mobile Power Pack e (MPP e), its all-new portable and swappable batteries for the purpose. MPP e is a portable and swappable lithium-ion battery that is capable to store a large amount of electricity that is more than 1.3kWh. This is way greater than the previous version of the MPP.

Honda also stated that it will establish a local subsidiary in India to conduct a battery sharing service business, said a PTI report. It will help in the installation of several Honda Mobile Power Pack Exchanger e-battery swapping stations and also conduct battery sharing services in the cities. The automaker will begin the work with electric rickshaw manufacturers and will take the service to selected cities first and then gradually expand it to other areas.

Honda Motor Co Ltd chief officer (Life Creation Operations) Minoru Kato said that Honda's MPP carries huge potential to electrify all kinds of devices including small-sized mobility products and expand the use of renewable energy. “By offering a battery sharing service in India, Honda will contribute to the accelerated electrification of rickshaws and expanded use of renewable energy," he added.

Honda shared that these efforts will address the rising air pollution in India and will help in the utilisation of renewable energy that will push the transportation sector to actively pursue electrification. Approximately 20 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions happen from this sector. According to a study conducted by the automaker, electrified mobility products that are currently available in the market are facing the issues of short-range, long charging time and high cost of batteries. Honda will try to tackle these problems and accelerate electrification in this sector.