Japan’s four major motorcycle original equipment manufacturers—Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha—have been collaborating on interchangeable electric vehicle batteries and associated systems since 2019.

The companies compromised on a single EV standard that their interchangeable batteries must fulfill in March 2021. That, like systematic charging plugs for our electronic devices, should make life so much easier for customers, so it appeared to be a positive move. Honda had unveiled its new Mobile Power Pack by November 2021. It was significant because that was the first component to match the Big Four’s battery swapping criteria.

The Fantastic Four have just publicly stated their next step in this project. The consortium is forming a new company named Gachaco in collaboration with the Japanese petroleum company Eneos. The new company was officially established on April 1, 2022. Its two objectives will be to share formalized swappable batteries for electric motorcycles and to develop the required infrastructure to accommodate this service.

Swap To Go Battery For E-Bikes

Eneos refers to its future vision as “Battery-as-a-Service,” or BaaS. As environmental considerations grow, it is more essential than ever to incorporate a recycling plan into the life cycle of a major energy shift like this. Whilst still there will undoubtedly be discussion as to whether this step is too late, it just about undoubtedly has to be preferable to doing nothing at all.

Moreover, Gachaco goes on to say it plans to launch its battery sharing service in Japan in the autumn of 2022. To proceed, it will be powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack. It is unclear when or if additional swappable battery options will be available in the near future. The rollout will take place in Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, and will take place in suitable, strategic points such as rail stations and Eneos service centers.

Gachaco’s plans for going global are unknown at this time. Individual countries, as well as the European Union overall, have worked at different rates to integrate more electric vehicle options. We honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see Gachaco’s reach expansion outside of Japan as electric two-wheeler options gain prominence across Asia and Europe in particular.