Brands Joined By Electric Vehicle Battery Consortium, 21 Automotive Giant Plants Collaborating

Illustration of an electric vehicle consortium (Photo: Doc. Antara)

YOGYAKARTA - The electrification ecosystem continues to be improved by the Indonesian government in synergy with manufacturing that supports it. Currently, many people are buying and using electric vehicles. More and more electric vehicles are marketed domestically.

The increase in the number of members of the electric vehicle battery consortium also strengthens the expectations of the electrification ecosystem in Indonesia. In September 2021, the Yamaha, Honda, KTM, and Piaggio parties established a consortium for exchanging electric motorcycle batteries. Currently, 21 brands have joined the battery consortium.

So far, Indonesia is considered not ready to form an electric vehicle ecosystem because the availability of batteries is still not much. The limited battery supply also makes the price of electric vehicles still tend to be expensive. The news of battery consortium members who have increased to become a glimmer of light for the expectations of the electrification ecosystem.

The establishment of an electric motorcycle battery consortium called Swappables Battery Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC) was carried out by Yamaha, KTM, Honda, and Piaggio last year. The four manufacturers not only exchanged batteries but also developed technology.

The SBMC consortium opens opportunities for brands that want to join members. The construction of the consortium departs from the reasons the four manufacturers are worried about the availability of charging, the price of electric vehicles is getting higher, to infrastructure that has not yet supported it.

Chief Officer of Motorcycle Operations Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Yoshihige Nomura, said that the electric vehicle use ecosystem is expected to be carried out quickly.

He also said that there are still several challenges, such as lowering the cost of electric and infrastructure vehicles, shortening charging times, and expanding the range. The battery exchange service offered by the consortium is one of the efforts to accelerate charging time.

All members of the SBMC electric vehicle battery consortium have the same vision, namely to accelerate the deployment of exchangeable battery systems so that continued mobility can increase.

A total of 21 brands have joined the electric vehicle battery consortium. The brands include; Yamaha, Honda, AVL, Ciklo, Fivebikes, Forsee Power, JAMA, Hioki, Hyba, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, Polaris, Piaggio, Niu, Samsung, Roki, Sinbon, Suzuki, Sumitomo, Swobbee, VeNetWork, Vitesco.

A number of 21 brands collaborating to hold meetings at the KTM headquarters in Mattighofen, Austria in July 2022. During the meeting they were about the background and purpose of the consortium.

The consortium will be supported with more complete and precise tools and instruments to realize its mission. A series of technical specifications has also been agreed. It has also started work flow on the manufacture of prototypes and standardizations.

Those are the brands that are members of the electric vehicle battery consortium. The purpose of the collaboration of the automotive giant brands is to support the creation of an electrification ecosystem.

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