Honda and GoCimo to Begin European Test of Station-Based Battery Swap Service
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) and GoCimo (formerly known as GoCiklo) (CEO: Mattias Tingvall), a Swedish start-up that operates rental and sharing service of electric motorcycles with swappable batteries, will together commence a battery sharing service verification test in Malmö, Sweden in February 2025 for a period of one year.
The purpose of the test is to verify the acceptability of a battery sharing service in Europe, the suitability of a new battery swap station, and the business feasibility of the service.
The test will consist of Honda Power Pack Exchanger e: (battery swap station), located at three locations in Malmö, to be used to exchange Honda Mobile Power Pack e: (batteries) for the EM1 e: (electric scooter commuter) sold by Honda in Europe. For this test, Honda will provide hardware and systems, including 30 pcs of EM1 e:, 60 pcs of Honda Mobile Power Pack e, and three Honda Power Pack Exchanger e:, as well as after-sales service.
“Honda is promoting the spread of electric motorcycles globally. The joint verification test of the battery sharing service with GoCimo will create a new business model for electric motorcycles in Europe, which will be commercialized and rolled out across the entire European region in the future to accelerate the spread of electric motorcycles and Honda Mobile Power Pack e:.” – Daiki Mihara, Operating Executive, MCPP Elect Biz Dev Unit, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
GoCimo was established in 2022 to address rising emissions and traffic congestion in the delivery and transportation industries, driven by the growth of the urban logistics market. So far, GoCimo has operated battery sharing services in two Swedish cities (Stockholm and Gothenburg). In this verification test, GoCimo will be responsible for the operation of the battery sharing service, customer acquisition and management, and securing locations for battery exchange stations.
Honda and GoCimo will also evaluate the potential for a long-term partnership for the European market during the verification test.
“GoCimo has successfully validated the business model for battery-sharing subscriptions for light vehicles in Europe. Our customers confirm that our service helps them transition to electric vehicles by lowering the investment hurdle, minimizing downtime due to charging, and improving safety during the charging process. This joint verification test with Honda allows us to further explore the market potential of battery-sharing services.” Mattias Tingvall, CEO, GoCimo
Honda has already launched battery sharing services in Japan, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. This verification test in Sweden will mark the fifth country for Honda’s battery sharing services.
Beginning with this initiative with GoCimo, Honda aims to promote the electrification of motorcycles and the widespread use of swappable batteries in Europe by expanding battery sharing services using Honda products, mainly for business users, in major European cities, thus supporting the electrification of mobility and contributing to the realization of a low-carbon society.
