Honda To Set up Electric 3-Wheeler Battery Swapping Network In Bengaluru

Honda Motor will begin offering battery swapping services for electric three-wheelers in Bengaluru by the end of June, with the goal of testing the market in India’s tech capital before expanding the service to other cities and the two-wheeler category.

The Japanese multinational will first focus on the three-wheeler market, as e-autos are also utilized for short-distance delivery of products, and e-commerce and logistics continue to increase the need for e-autos.

The firm would start with seven stations before expanding to 50 over the following 18 months, according to Gunjan Krishna, Karnataka’s commissioner for industries who oversaw the discussions with the company.

Honda conducted a proof-of-concept testing in Mumbai, but has decided to debut the service in Bengaluru, she added.

Honda Power Pack Energy India, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, has already been established to carry out the operation, with an investment of Rs 135 crore. Kiyoshi Ito, the subsidiary’s CMD, said in an emailed statement that the business will continue to invest in expanding the battery sharing network.

The network expansion in Bengaluru would take place in stages. The startup thinks that its battery-sharing service would speed the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by addressing concerns such as range anxiety and charging wait time.

According to Honda, the vehicle cost issue can be eliminated if three-wheelers are marketed without batteries, which would allow more drivers to purchase EVs.

Furthermore, Honda is collaborating with a number of car manufacturers to incorporate its India-made batteries into their vehicles, according to Ito, who declined to name them.

MP Shyam, chairman of the Federation of Auto Dealers Association’s Karnataka branch, stated that without batteries, EVs will be significantly inexpensive, as batteries account for around 40% of the cost and Honda’s battery service will encourage EV adoption and assist e-commerce companies with their last-mile delivery difficulties.

Karnataka has been avidly seeking EV adoption, and it recently changed its EV and storage policy in order to compete with other states in terms of providing concessions and incentives to capitalists.

The state’s EV sector subsidy covers EV assembly, production of its components, battery-pack elements, EV charging infrastructure equipment, and a few other EV production-related units.

The 2017 EV policy aims to create Rs 31,000 crore in R&D and industrial investments. Since then, numerous states have issued their own policies.

Bengaluru is home to some of the country’s most promising EV firms, including Sun Mobility, Ola Electric, and Ather.

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