Piaggio Group has signed a letter of intent with Honda Motor Co., Ltd, KTM AG, and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd, to set up a consortium that will enable brand’s to use swappable battery system for electric Motorcycles and Light Electric Vehicles. The association will allow the promotion and adoption of widespread electric vehicle use due to the ease-of-use and availability of the standardized swappable battery system that will decrease the time charge the vehicle as well as reduce the range anxiety of the user.
The Consortium
In the recent past, it was reported that Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki could be working together to form an alliance that would lead to a standardized and swappable battery system but Kawasaki and Suzuki have likely opted out from the association and in place, two European brands KTM and Piaggio Group have joined Honda and Yamaha. The members of the consortium believe that the availability of a standardized swappable battery will not only encourage the adoption of electric vehicles but also help life-cycle management of batteries making them more sustainable.
The Paris Climate Agreement
In connection with the Paris Climate Agreement which was adopted by 196 companies in Paris, on 12th December 2015 and has been in effect from 4th November 2016 and has the aim to limit global warming well under 2-degrees Celsius, as compared to pre-industrial levels, the transition to electro-mobility is of utmost importance and the answer to the future of electromobility is extending the range of electric vehicles, shortening the battery charging time and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs, all of which can be achieved through the new consortium.
Standardized Battery Packs
The intention of the consortium is to standardize the technical specifications of the swappable battery system for vehicles belonging to the L-category which includes Mopeds, Motorcycles, Tricycles and Quadricycles. This will eventually lead to the development and creation of international technical standards.
Timeline
The consortium will begin operations in May 2021 and the four founding members – Piaggio, KTM, Honda and Yamaha will encourage all the interested stakeholders to join the co-operation.
