Honda and Panasonic to begin experiment on battery sharing using detachable mobile batteries and electric motorcycles in Indonesia
13 July 2018
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Panasonic Corporation will conduct a research experiment in Indonesia on battery sharing using the Honda Mobile Power Pack (“Mobile Power Pack”) detachable mobile battery with electric mobility products, including electric motorcycles powered by the Mobile Power Pack. The two companies are planning to begin the research experiment in December 2018.
Honda Mobile Power Pack.
This research experiment will be conducted as one of the projects subsidized by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the theme of a “research experiment of mobile battery sharing as distributed energy resources.”
As the third largest motorcycle market in the world, Indonesia is facing an issue with air pollution associated with the increase in traffic volume. To address this issue, the Indonesian government has announced a policy to facilitate the widespread use of electric mobility products.
While being environmentally-responsible, electric mobility products still have some issues that need to be addressed, including range and charging time. Honda expects that the Mobile Power Pack and mobility products powered by it can solve such issues and provide a boost to the widespread use of electric mobility products.
For this research experiment, the two companies will install charging stations at several dozen locations, which will charge multiple units of the Mobile Power Pack simultaneously and supply fully-charged Mobile Power Packs to users at any time.
Charging station (concept model).
Users of electric mobility products who experience a low battery level can stop at the nearest charging station and exchange their Mobile Power Pack for a fully-charged one and get back on the road.
In order to fulfill requirements to conduct this research experiment, Honda,
Panasonic and Pacific Consultants Co., Ltd. signed an agreement to establish a joint venture company in Jakarta, Indonesia—Pt. HPP Energy Indonesia—for the purpose of conducting this research experiment.
Good idea, beats polluting two cycle.
Posted by: SJC | 13 July 2018 at 07:21 AM
At CES2018 Honda revealed the PCX Electric (similar to the PCX Hybrid) using the Honda Mobile Power Pack (“Mobile Power Pack”) detachable mobile battery.
This is similar to the Gogoro scooter that is popular in Taiwan. Gogoro has 622 swapping stations already. This could be a great solution in many Asian countries where scooters are the predominate mode of transport.
Posted by: gryf | 13 July 2018 at 08:53 AM
Swappable batteries are great, and the Gogoro is gorgeous, but scooters should also come with the ability to plug in. Let’s hope Honda gives consumers the option of charging the way that suits them best.
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 13 July 2018 at 06:24 PM
The Honda PCX Electric has a plug-in charge port. The Gogoro does not, though it does have a home "Go Charger". Gogoro will allow others to own the charger - like small businesses and Gogoro will even pay for it. It's called the OPEN Initiative—for Owner Proposed Energy Network.
Posted by: gryf | 13 July 2018 at 06:58 PM
With the biggest two wheeler market India needs electric two wheelers that go atleast 100 kms on charge and we also need battery swappings stations on massive scale. With vheap solar power this will change face of india.
Posted by: nirmalkumar | 13 July 2018 at 09:03 PM
Great possibilities to improve air quality in cities here, as long as the batteries have enough power and the vehicles can perform well enough.
People use scooters for everything in places like India and Indonesia.
If the battery is 1kwH, can you get 100 Km / KwH, I would doubt it.
You might get 60 Km at a speed of 40 KpH (slow) from 1KwH.
(according to an ebike simulator I found).
http://www.electricbikesimulator.com/index,en.html#
Still, a very good start, and I would think that 60 Km would be plenty for most people.
Posted by: mahonj | 14 July 2018 at 03:56 AM
I hope we can arrive at the place where we are with cordless power tools now... that is, one set of batteries can run all you similarly sized devices. In America, this would be motorcycles, riding lawn mowers, snow blowers, rototillers, maybe even air compressors and power washers. And, wow, Honda makes all of these already, just with ICE engines. So many engines ...and so many used only a few times a year.
Posted by: theblight | 15 July 2018 at 04:19 PM
There is a good chance for a rechargeable future.
It takes time and money but we are getting there.
Posted by: SJC | 18 July 2018 at 08:48 PM
There is a good chance for a rechargeable future.
It takes time and money but we are getting there.
Posted by: SJC | 18 July 2018 at 08:48 PM