Honda to set up battery-swapping stations at HP petrol pumps and Bengaluru Metro stations

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) is planning on setting up its battery swapping stations in India starting from Bangalore in partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited in Bangalore and Bangalore Metro Stations.

Honda Mobility Power Pack Exchanger (Image- Amulya Raj/ Zee News)

One of the major two-wheeler manufacturers in India, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), is planning on planting a firm foot into the electric vehicle segment moving forward. The Japanese automaker plans to launch the Honda e:SWAP battery-swapping network in India. The swapping stations will be set up on the stations of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited in Bengaluru and Bengaluru Metro Stations.

As per the latest announcements, the automaker plans to launch the Honda e:SWAP stations in phases starting in Bengaluru. The company is planning on starting the operations with 7 seven such stations and further expanding the network in a phase-by-phase manner. This step is in sync with the company's and the government's goal to transition to a more environmentally friendly fuel source.

Coming to the details of the Honda e:SWAP, the stations will have 12 slots per exchanger which will be connected to a cloud system. This battery exchange process is wholly digitised with protection against theft. Furthermore, as per Honda, the number of exchanger slots can be increased by pairing up to seven exchangers depending on the demand in the area.

It is to be noted that the charging slots need 2-4 hours to fully charge the battery, depending on the percentage on which it is plugged in. The battery weighs around 10.3 kg in weight and has got an IP65 rating. It is to be noted that the battery swapping station will exclusively be for two and three-wheeler EVs.

Furthermore, keeping in mind the recent incident of EV fires, the company also said that the batteries had been designed keeping in mind the Indian weather conditions. As per Honda, the batteries have been tested in Thane, Mumbai and do not operate above a threshold temperature of 60 degrees. Moreover, the batteries have been designed with a system to suppress thermal runways.

Ensuring the security even more the company claims that the batteries have gone through multiple tests against water, falling from a height and other tests to ensure their functioning even in tough conditions.

Speaking on the occasion, Atsushi Ogata - Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, "Bringing the synergies of Honda’s global expertise with strong indigenous support, HMSI will further expand its horizons in India. A staggered implementation of flex-fuel technology and multiple EV model introduction in future will lead to an exciting journey ahead. HMSI also plans to enter the low-end motorcycle segment while boosting its new fun models' business in domestic markets. Parallelly expanding its wings overseas, HMSI aims to serve more developed countries with its highest level of global quality standards"