Summary
Honda and GoCimo test a battery-sharing service
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced a collaboration with the Swedish startup GoCimo to launch an innovative battery-sharing service in Malmö, Sweden, starting in February 2025. This one-year pilot project aims to evaluate the European market’s acceptance of a battery sharing and exchange system, test a new exchange station, and analyze the commercial viability of the service.
Infrastructure and equipment
The project will feature three Honda Power Pack Exchanger e: stations smartly placed throughout Malmö. These units will serve as charging and exchange points for the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: batteries used in the EM1 e: electric scooters. For this pioneering project, Honda will provide a fleet of 30 EM1 e: scooters, 60 Mobile Power Pack e: batteries, and three exchange stations, also ensuring after-sales service.
Role of GoCimo
Founded in 2022, GoCimo already manages operations in Stockholm and Gothenburg. In this context, GoCimo will handle service operations, including customer acquisition and administration of exchange points.
Towards a European extension
This is the fifth international market for Honda’s battery-sharing services, following successful implementations in Japan, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Daiki Mihara, Chief Operating Officer of Honda’s Motorcycle Electrification Development Unit, specifies: ‘These joint trials will help create a business model for electric motorcycles in Europe. This model will be extended to the entire European region in the future’.
Reduction of barriers
Mattias Tingvall, CEO of GoCimo, points out that: ‘Our customers confirm that the service helps them switch to electric vehicles, reducing investment barriers and minimizing downtime’.