The European subsidiary of the manufacturer Iwata, has established a collaboration with Swobbee to test the battery exchange system of the Yamaha Neo in the heart of Germany. Well yes, as we are telling you, and we could all have imagined, the problem of autonomy and battery recharging time have always been essential in the adoption, or not, of electric vehicles by individuals.
And in the face of economic challenges, we have seen the development in Asia of interchangeable battery systems with Gogoro. But, we also saw how the four Japanese manufacturers had come together to develop a common battery. A project that was later taken up in Europe.
The idea is simple: design a standard, economical and easily removable battery, common to the largest number of two-wheeled vehicles, and establish charging infrastructure that allows the discharged battery to be changed for a recharged one in a few seconds. In addition to saving time, we also save on purchases, since the battery does not necessarily have to be purchased with the motorcycle.
Therefore, we could expect Japanese EV vehicles coming to Europe to use these swappable batteries. But this was not the case, nor for the Honda EM1 and, not even for him Yamaha NEO’s. Only motorcycles Kawasaki Z e-1 and ninja e-1.
But there are changes on this side by the subsidiary of the tuning fork factory. The European department of Iwata manufacturer Yamaha has just signed a partnership with Swobbee in Germany to test battery swapping in central Berlin.
Instead of buying the Yamaha NEO’s, German users have the option of taking out a subscription that allows them to purchase the electric scooter and use Swobbee’s charging infrastructure. The price of 129 euros per month also includes maintenance, conservation, insurance and replacement in case of anomaly.
Clement Villet director of land mobility at Yamaha Motor Europe, said: “We are excited to partner with Swobbee to advance the electric two-wheeler market. Demand for electric vehicles and flexible ownership solutions continues to increase. Recognizing this need, Swobbee and Yamaha are joining forces to work on innovative technologies and more sustainable mobility, while providing customers with convenient and easy charging solutions and improving the overall riding experience of NEO’s. This swappable battery project is also part of Yamaha’s long-term plan to achieve carbon neutrality in the future.”.
At the moment, the project is only valid in Berlin and has not yet made any progress in our country, where the Yamaha NEO’s are also available.
Yamaha NEO prices
- 1 NEO’s battery: 2,999 euros.
- 2 NEO’s batteries: 3,599 euros.
