THE ELECTRIC FUTURE DRAWS CLOSER

Interesting news development this morning as Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio and KTM have jointly announced today that they have signed a Letter of Intent to set up a Swappable Batteries Consortium for Motorcycles and Light Electric Vehicles.

In the context of the UK government’s decision to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 – not to mention the global exposure given to the electric motorcycle created by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s Long Way Up travel series (riding Harley-Davidson LiveWires) – it would seem the trend toward electric motorcycles becoming mainstream is ever strengthening.

The joint statement from the manufacturers reads:

“In the context of the Paris Climate Agreement and the transition to electromobility, the founding members of the Consortium believe that the availability of a standardized swappable battery system would both promote the widespread use of light electric vehicles and contribute to more sustainable life cycle management of batteries used in the transport sector.

Also, by extending the range, shortening the charging time and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs, the manufacturers will try to answer 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 activities in May 2021. The four founding members encourage all interested stakeholders to join the cooperation to enrich the Consortium’s expertise.”