Battery sharing service for electric tricycle taxis to be launched in India by Honda
Honda Motor Company stated on Friday that it will launch a battery-sharing service for electric tricycle taxis in India in the first half of 2022, utilising Honda Mobile Power, the company’s all-new portable and swappable batteries. As India’s economy grows, so does energy consumption, and air pollution is escalating. To address these concerns, efforts are being undertaken across the country to increase the use of renewable energy and to actively explore transportation electrification.
In India, there are over 8 million auto-rickshaws, and they have long been a necessary mode of transportation for the general public. These rickshaws are mostly powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) in cities (Compressed Natural Gas).
In February 2021, Honda began demonstration testing in India, with 30 electric rickshaw taxis covering over 200,000 kilometers. Rickshaw drivers can use Honda’s battery sharing service to switch an MPP e: with a low remaining charge for a fully charged MPP e: at one of the city’s battery swapping stations.
The usage of this service will considerably lessen driver anxieties about running out of batteries, as well as the possibility of missing out on business chances with consumers while rickshaw batteries are charged.
Honda will launch this service in India by forming a local company to run a battery-sharing service. The subsidiary will set up a number of Honda Mobile Power Pack Exchangers in the city as battery switching stations and provide a battery sharing service. Honda will collaborate with e-rickshaw makers to launch the service in a few cities at first, then gradually spread it to other places.
