Japan’s four big motorcycle manufacturers, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda, formed a consortium to research and develop swappable battery technology for upcoming electric motorcycles.
On March 26th, 2021, the consortium announced that the four companies have agreed on a specific battery design and capacity, along with the dimensions and weight. Hence, all four companies’ batteries will have the same specifications and sizes and will be interchangeable.
The development of electric motorcycles has accelerated because of Japan’s new regulations and laws that see vehicles with gas-engines disappear by the mid-2030s. The government took this a step further, banning gasoline-powered four-wheelers from 2030 onwards and gasoline-powered two-wheelers from 2035.
Companies like Harley-Davidson and Zero already showed their electric bikes. However, they will soon have intense competition from the Japanese big four, making a genius move with the swappable battery tech.
As a result, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki could sell electric motorcycles without batteries, provided the customer already has one from a previous bike. Besides, it would be straightforward to find a replacement battery since every manufacturer will produce it under the same specifications. Removing the battery is also a safer option for people who live in high-theft areas to safeguard their motorcycles.
Furthermore, the Japanese big four is working on an electric two-wheeler prototype with the swappable battery system, but no information is available yet. All companies except Kawasaki presented sides showing their new prototype, as Kawasaki showed its Concept J from seven years ago.
More information about the developments inside the organization will come out soon. We surely can’t wait to see what the Japanese giants will come up with.
