Honda Power Pack Energy India Private Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), have announced a partnership to establish battery swapping stations for electric vehicles at the latter's retail outlets. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and commercial agreement for setting up battery sharing services. It also marks the global debut of Honda's battery sharing service business. Honda Motor Co. had announced its plan to begin battery sharing service in India in October 2021 with electric three-wheelers via its subsidiary Honda Power Pack Energy India.
Also Read: Honda Motor Co To Establish A New Subsidiary For Battery Sharing Business In India
Honda will begin its battery swapping network in Bengaluru and then expand to other major cities
Speaking about the partnership, President & CMD, Honda Power Pack Energy India, Kiyoshi Ito said that he is looking forward to a long-lasting partnership and friendship between Honda and HPCL to bring the reliable and customer-centric battery sharing service in India and to ensure a greener future. Referring to the association of Honda with HPCL, he added that for Honda, it was a case of meeting the right partner at the right time.
Rajnish Mehta, Executive Director, Corporate Strategy Planning & Business Development at HPCL, said that HPCL is already committed to become a net zero company by 2040 and the partnerships with global players like Honda will be instrumental in achieving this target. He also asserted that a strong collaboration between HPCL and Honda would definitely pave the way for both companies in expediting the energy transition process.
Honda plans to begin battery swapping for electric three-wheelers and eventually make way for electric two-wheelers as well
Honda's battery sharing service will enable rickshaw drivers to stop by at the nearest battery swapping stations being set up across the selected cities and swap discharged batteries, which the company calls Honda Mobile Power Pack e: This will help drivers' to acquire the electric three-wheeler at a lower cost, while the battery as a service option will keep operating costs to a minimum. The company further said that the battery swapping network will also reduce the risk of drivers losing business while waiting for the batteries to be charged.
Honda will begin its battery as a service business commercially in Bengaluru in the first half of 2022. It plans to set up a network of battery swap stations at strategic locations like HPCL's retail outlets. The service will be expanded to other major cities in a phased manner, the company added. While the focus will be electric three-wheelers initially, it will eventually expand to two-wheelers as well, the company said. Honda also said that it's developing its ties with multiple OEMs in various applications.
