Swappable Battery Consortium - this is Big News #2
At last, there appears to be some progress on an issue that was set to plague efforts by the motorcycle (and wider PTW/powersports) industry to secure a foothold in the evolution of future transport markets and infrastructure developments.
Addressing an issue that we here at AMD Magazine and many other observers have pointed to, especially with regard to Harley-Davidson's plans for further developing its electrification programs, KTM/Husqvarna, Honda, Yamaha and Piaggio Group (Vespa, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia) have signed a 'Letter of Intent' for the creation of a Swappable Battery Consortium for motorcycles and light electric vehicles.
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| Stefan Pierer, KTM: "A widespread application of batteries compliant with a common standard will support secondary use as well as a circular economy." |
It is an issue that affects all manufacturers, including Polaris/Indian, Zero, and all the others not yet singing from this song sheet and one that, as things stand, could be a major foot on the hosepipe as they try to decode a future in which internal combustion engines are consigned to being a footnote in transport policy history.
In motorcycle terms, the numbers sold annually mean that only concerted action on the issue of power source will allow the industry to achieve a viable critical mass. Without it, consumers will find it ever more difficult to take their motorcycle enthusiasms forward, and ever more difficult to see two wheels as a viable option in the future. A common swappable battery platform may not sound like a big deal, but in the real world of consumer convenience, choice and lifestyles, it really is.
At a corporate level at least,
Honda is probably the most advanced in terms of its investments and
preparations for an electric future. Noriaki Abe, Managing Officer
Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., 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."
In the same way that the Connected Motorcycle Consortium efforts to secure motorcycles' viability in a Level 4 and Level 5 connected vehicle landscape (see elsewhere in this edition of AMD Magazine), so too the issue of a swappable common power source is of critical importance.
Though being initially discussed in the European context, this is something that needs an "all in or none in" global approach. As one of the members of the SBC (KTM) is quoted as saying - "the founding members of the Consortium believe that the availability of a standardized swappable battery system would both promote the widespread use of electric motorcycles and light vehicles and contribute to a more sustainable lifecycle management of batteries used in the transport sector.
Michele Colaninno, Chief of
Strategy and Product at Piaggio Group: "A strengthened cooperation among
manufacturers and institutions will allow the industry to better
respond to the main challenges of the future of mobility."
"Also, by extending the range, shortening the charging time and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs, the manufacturers will be trying to answer to customers' main concerns regarding the future of electromobility.
"The aim of the Consortium will, therefore, be to define the standardized technical specifications of the swappable battery system for vehicles belonging to the L-category: mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles. By working closely with interested stakeholders and national, European and international standardization bodies, the founding members of the Consortium will be involved in the creation of international technical standards."
The Consortium will start its activity in May 2021. The four founding members encourage all interested stakeholders to join the cooperation to enrich the Consortium's expertise.
As Stefan Pierer, KTM, said: "Sustainability is one of the key drivers to the future of mobility, and electrification will play a major role in achieving this goal. 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. We are glad to be part of the Consortium as we strive towards our goals in the e-mobility sector."
This is a view shared by all four of the manufacturers. Yamaha Executive Officer Takuya Kinoshita, Chief General Manager of Motorcycle Business Operations, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., 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. I'm confident that through work like this, the technical specs and standards that currently differ by regional characteristics or the state of the industry in different markets will be unified, and, in the future, will help lead towards maximizing the merits of electric power for customers on a global level."
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| Yamaha Executive Officer Takuya Kinoshita: "I believe the creation of this Consortium holds great significance not just for Europe, but the world. The technical specs and standards that currently differ by regional characteristics or the state of the industry in different markets will be unified." |
Michele Colaninno, Chief of Strategy and Product at Piaggio Group, 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."
For Honda, which, at a corporate level at least, is probably the most advanced in terms of its investments and preparations for an electric future, Noriaki Abe, Managing Officer Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., 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."