Honda Starts Its Battery Swap Stations In Bengaluru

To exclusively benefit e-rickshaw drivers at the moment

The first batch of Honda’s battery-swapping stations have started operations in Bengaluru. A joint venture between Honda Power Pack Energy India Private Limited (HEID) and Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the battery-swapping stations will cater to e-rickshaws. This will ease commute times as well as reduce dependence on personal (usually ICE) vehicles, eventually reducing, albeit marginally, the city’s traffic woes. 

At the outset, there will be five charging stations at the KR Market, National College, Banashankari, Trinity, and Baiyappanahalli metro stations. That said, the HEID-BMRCL joint venture has its eyes set on 70 battery-swapping stations in and around Bengaluru by July 2023. Moreover, the success of the Bengaluru endeavour may even translate to similar arrangements cropping up in other cities.

This bodes well for Honda’s electric scooter plans that are likely to take their final form come 2023. More details on the Honda electric scooter, which we think might be called the Activa Electric, in this story. 

Honda currently does not have any electric offerings in its India lineup, though it has outlined a global plan for electric two-wheelers.