Piaggio, KTM, Honda, & others join hands for EVs' swappable batteries consortium

Piaggio Group announced on Tuesday that it has signed a letter of intent with KTM AG, Honda Motor, and Yamaha Motor, in order to set up a 'Swappable Batteries Consortium' for motorcycles and light electric vehicles.

The consortium will define standardised technical specifications of swappable batteries for vehicles in the L-category -- mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles.

In the context of the Paris Climate Agreement founding members of the consortium said that it (consortium) would promote the availability of a standardised swappable battery system and thus the use of light electric vehicles will go up. It also aims to contribute to a more sustainable life-cycle management of batteries deployed in the sector of transportation.

The members also added that the manufacturers will try to answer customers' key concerns about the future of electric mobility by improving the overall EV battery technology - shortening the charging time, extending the battery range, and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs.

"By working closely with interested stakeholders and national, European and international standardisation bodies, the founding members of the consortium will be involved in the creation of international technical standards," they said.

Commenting on the development, Honda Motor Co Ltd Managing Officer, Motorcycle Operations, Noriaki Abe said, "The worldwide electrification effort to reduce CO2 on a global scale is accelerating, especially in Europe. 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."

Expressing similar views, Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, Chief General Manager of Motorcycle Business Operations and Executive Officer Takuya Kinoshita said,"I believe the creation of this Consortium holds great significance not just for Europe but the world as we move towards establishing standards for swappable batteries for light electric vehicles."

Piaggio Group Chief of strategy and product Michele Colaninno said, "An international standard for the swappable batteries system will make this technology efficient and at the disposal of the consumers. Finally, a strengthened cooperation among manufacturers and institutions will allow the industry to better respond to the main challenges of the future of mobility."

The consortium will start its operations in May 2021. The four founding members of the consortium encourage all interested stakeholders to join the cooperation to enrich the Consortium’s expertise.

(With Agency Inputs)