Innovator Swobbee To Help Piaggio/Honda/KTM/Yamaha Develop Swappable batteries

[advrider]

Remember when we told you about a new global consortium of motorcycle manufacturers, aimed at developing swappable batteries for electric motorcycles? Well, that consortium just grew, adding a new member from outside the world of motorcycles—but this new member, a German tech outfit named Swobbee, has the potential to bring a lot to the table.

When it was announced in September, the consortium included Piaggio, Honda, KTM and Yamaha. The goal? To develop cross-manufacturer, cross-platform swappable batteries.

Committed to the promotion of the widespread use of light electric vehicles, such as mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles in the transport sector and to the more sustainable life-cycle management of batteries in the context of international climate policies, the founding members of the Consortium believe that the availability of a commonly developed swappable battery systems is key to the development of low-voltage electromobility.

EVs with quick-swap batteries could easily replace depleted cells at service station-style installations, allowing a vehicle to be “refuelled.” The problem is that all manufacturers currently have different specs for their batteries, even the Japanese OEMs who all signed on to a previous all-Japan electric moto consortium.

That could be where Swobbee comes in. Swobbee, based in Berlin, is working on the exact technology that the consortium wants: swappable electric batteries that work across a variety of vehicles and a variety of manufacturers. Officially, as per Swobbee’s website:

Swobbee is the efficient solution for the professional operation of small electric vehicle fleets in the field of sharing, logistics and delivery as well as other electricity-based applications. Our Battery-as-a-Service and Charging-as-a-Service approach enables a simple, convenient and cost-optimized transition to electric mobility.

It seems Swobbee is less concerned with the development of batteries themselves (although it may have input into those processes). It specializes in the design of the infrastructure behind them, including charging and distribution. A look at Swobbee’s website shows kiosk-style quick-swap stations that the company already offers in some cities. That’s exactly what the battery bike market needs right now, and if Swobbee gets on board with the electrification of motorcycles, we are almost certainly going to see massive growth in this market in coming years.

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