Honda is aiming to catch up in the field of swappable batteries for electric motorcycles with its Honda Mobile Power Pack e: (MPPe:). This Gogoro-style swappable battery system is set to make its debut in Indonesia, as Honda seeks to expand its presence in the international electric motorcycle market.
The Honda MPPe: includes not only the swappable battery itself but also a battery cabinet called the Honda Power Pack Exchanger e: (HPPEe:), which resembles similar systems used by Gogoro.
While Honda has been relatively slow in transitioning to electric vehicles, including electric motorcycles, it has been working on a swappable battery system for a few years. Initially used in limited trials in Japan, the company later partnered with Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki to establish a swappable battery consortium. Now, Honda appears to be positioning its battery system as a competitive standard.
Indonesia, with a population of around 275 million, has a significant portion of households relying on motorcycles for commuting. Although electric vehicles remain a small segment of the market, Honda aims to contribute to the growth of EV adoption by introducing its EM1 electric motorbike in Indonesia.
The EM1 will be offered for sale in two options: one without batteries and another with batteries included. The battery-included package will be priced at around $2,930, while the battery-less option will cost approximately $2,600. Honda’s battery swapping stations function similarly to those of Gogoro, requiring users to activate the station and swap batteries using a membership card.
As Honda expands its electric motorcycle offerings and introduces swappable battery technology to more markets, it reflects the broader trend in the industry toward developing standardized battery exchange systems to address charging and range limitations for electric two-wheelers.