Honda To Start Battery Sharing Service For Electric Autos In 2022

Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda will start a new battery sharing service for electric auto rickshaws in the first half of 2022. The new service will use Honda's all-new Mobile Power Pack e: portable and swappable batteries.

Honda's Mobile Power Pack e: is a portable and swappable lithium-ion battery capable of storing more than 1.3kWh of power. The battery pack is highly versatile and can be used as a power source for a range f compatible devices. The MPP e offers better heat dissipation during usage along with sufficient water, vibration and shock resistance.

Speaking about Honda's new venture in India, Minoru Kato, Chief Officer, Life Creation Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd said "Honda Mobile Power Pack (MPP) has huge potential to electrify all kinds of devices including small-sized mobility products and expand the use of renewable energy. By offering a battery sharing service in India, Honda will contribute to the accelerated electrification of rickshaws and expanded use of renewable energy. Moreover, Honda will continue serving people worldwide with the joy of expanding their life's potential by further expanding the utilization of the MPP into broader areas."

India's fleet of over 8 million auto-rickshaws provides essential means of daily transport to its people. Powered mostly by petrol or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), these small people movers are a key challenge for electrification in urban areas of the country.

The reasons according to Honda that current electric mobility products offered in India currently face include a short range per charge, high charging times and the high cost of batteries.

To contribute to India's path towards accelerated electrification, Honda plans to enter the market and eliminate these issues with a battery sharing and swapping service that will start in the first half of 2022.

To check the feasibility of the new business, Honda in February 2021 started demonstration testing in the country.

The testing process saw Honda operate 30 electric auto rickshaws that were driven for over two lakh kilometres during the testing period. Through this testing, Honda identified issues to be addressed and verified business viability.

The new battery sharing service from Honda will allow auto rickshaw drivers to swap their low charge Mobile Power Pack e's for a fully charged unit. This will help quell fears about the range of batteries and waiting times to fully charge up the battery pack that could cause a loss of passengers, says Honda.

Honda states that it will set up a local subsidiary in India to take care of its new battery sharing business. The new Honda subsidiary will set up battery swapping and sharing stations across the country. Honda will work with current electric rickshaw manufacturers and start the service in select cities first before expanding to other areas across India in stages.

Thoughts About Honda's New Battery Swapping & Sharing Business For India

Honda's push into the Indian electric auto-rickshaw market is absolutely good news. With over eight million autos on our streets, the thought of moving them over to electric power with current battery and charging tech seemed to be a mountain too high to climb. However, Honda's decision to help out with battery sharing and swapping gives the nation a set of guide ropes to help it along the climb to a clean future.