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We are pleased to share a list of initiatives lined up for SBMC in this year, marking a significant step forward in our mission to revolutionize the electric motorcycle industry. Here's a glimpse into what's in store:
SBMC General Assembly in Brussels Thanks to PIAGGIO’s invitation, the SBMC Annual meeting took place in Brussels from June 24-25, 2024. A great opportunity for members to meet face-to-face and to discuss the past achievements and future goals.  Automotive World Interview SBMC has been featured in an interview for Automotive World, the renowned platform that provides in-depth analysis and insights into the global automotive industry. In the interview we are discussing the benefits of battery swapping and how standardization in this industry will benefit end users, the industry, and society as well! Have a look at the article here: "Worth the wait: battery swap standards promise huge benefits" Our Guide for Cities With this Consortium, the members aim to facilitate the use of electric lightweight-category vehicles by means of swappable batteries, and wish to promote the development and deployment of charging infrastructure for that. One critical area of deployment is in cities. Cities need to create sustainable, efficient, and environmentally friendly urban solutions; it is crucial to adapt to the evolving landscape of mobility. In light of this, SBMC has created a guide to swappable batteries for motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles in cities in particular. This guide aims to provide direction to city councils and public entities focused on mobility and environmental matters in integrating disruptive mobility models into their medium and long-term city planning. Find out more at: SBMC Guidelines for Cities LinkedIn We are proud to announce we have over 750 followers now on the professional social media platform, LinkedIn. Bringing together key stakeholders on the platform, from manufacturers, designers, investors - right through to users, to encourage a common technology to boost electric mobility through swappable batteries. Upcoming events 11th September 2024: The Motorcycling Reception Our members FIM - The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, and ACEM - European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, are celebrating their 120th and 30th anniversaries. This special event will take place at the iconic Autoworld Museum in Brussels (Parc du Cinquantenaire, 11) on Wednesday, September 11th, starting at 18:00. The event will showcase their contributions to future mobility challenges under the new European political leadership through the presentation of their Manifesto. Keynotes will be delivered by the FIM and ACEM Presidents and prominent EU representatives, followed by a cocktail reception.
5th-10th November 2024: EICMA - Meet our Members Several SBMC members will be in Milan, Italy for the EICMA exhibition. This International Two-Wheeler appointment, is the most important trade fair event for the entire two-wheel sector and co-organized by our member ANCMA, the Confindustria Industrial Association. Enriched with talks, demonstrations, and informative meetings, SBMC members will support how two-wheelers are a concrete answer to the new and more complex demand for mobility in our cities.
Welcome to our newest members The consortium extends a warm welcome to those who recently joined! Eatron Technologies - Eatron is a fast-growing technology company dedicated to unlocking the full potential of batteries with intelligent software for all vehicle and battery manufacturers worldwide. We develop AI-powered edge-to-cloud connected software platform for better, safer, durable and greener batteries in automotive, mobility and beyond. NX-Technologies - develops automotive grade electronics including motor controllers and battery management systems. The product portfolio offers motor controller system from 3kW up to 350kW for any on-road or off-road application. The company also has both high voltage and low voltage battery management systems (BMS) for mobility and stationary applications. To become a member too, visit our "Join Us" web page. 
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The Swappable Batteries Motorcycles Consortium (SBMC) has launched its initiative only two years ago with a primary focus on the customer's foremost benefit: A common standard for L-category vehicle batteries enabling interoperability, compatibility, safety and security, thus opening the door to significant cost reductions for all stakeholders via the advantages of a universal battery standard.
Significant Progress Towards Standardization In October 2023, delegates from SBMC participated for the first time in the ISO TC 22 SC 38 WG 2 discussion (meeting held in Tokyo, October 11 and 12, 2023). The results were positive with a recommendation to prepare a draft project proposal based on six main “chapters” towards standardising a swappable battery system: 1: General & Safety requirements 2: Mechanical parts 3: Connector 4: BMS 5: Electrical parts 6: Test specifications The process will progress with the collection of proposals, inputs and materials from all ISO TC 22 SC 38 WG 2 members, then merging SBMC inputs with all others into a comprehensive document, that will be circulated for feedback from all working group members. The next meeting will be held on 16 & 17 April 2024, in Torino (Italy).
Past and upcoming events
November 2023: EICMA MEET SBMC @ EICMA - URBAN MOBILITY HALL 18 - This new space at the International Two-Wheeler Exhibition, promoted with our member ANCMA (National Association of Cycles-Motorcycles and Accessories), is a seed in the soil of EICMA that the event wants to grow and is also configured as a privileged place to listen to the needs of businesses and road users. Enriched with talks, demonstrations and informative meetings, the objective is to represent how two-wheelers, are already and will increasingly be a concrete answer to a new and more complex demand for mobility coming from the city. Meet us from November 9 to 12 at the SBMC booth in HALL 18, together with other relevant companies, institutions, law enforcement agencies and industry startups, to which EICMA offers an international showcase. New Members We are happy to announce we have 10 new consortium members since the start of 2023, bringing the total number of current SBMC members to 38. A comprehensive description of all members can be found here.  Motorcycles and scooters over short distances are a great solution, especially for everyday travel in cities. One of the key objectives of SBMC is ensuring that batteries can be exchanged among different brands and types. The Consortium, with currently 39 members, supports therefore an initiative to make it safe and convenient for users to swap batteries.  Making it safe and convenient to swap batteries SBMC not only aims to set a standard in support of interoperability, compatibility, safety and security, but also to be in line with existing and upcoming European and International Regulations. Ensuring that batteries placed on the market contribute to sustainable decarbonisation of the mobility sector. Batteries are considered a key technology in the transition to climate neutrality, and to a more circular economy. Global demand for batteries is increasing rapidly and is set to increase 14 times by 2030. To minimise the environmental impact the European Commission has proposed a new Regulation concerning the design, manufacture and recycling of all types of batteries sold in the EU, that will enter into force before the end of this year. Battery manufacturers will thus be subject to stricter environmental and due diligence requirements if they want to sell on the European market. These new rules challenge some of the SBMC specifications, however the Consortium envisions to address them, as they aim to make batteries sustainable throughout their entire life cycle – from the sourcing of materials to their collection, recycling and repurposing. Key measures foreseen by the regulation
SBMC on LinkedInWe are proud to announce we have over 300 followers on the professional social media platform, LinkedIn. Bringing together key stakeholders on the platform, from manufacturers, designers, investors - right through to users, to encourage a common technology to boost electric mobility through swappable batteries. Past and upcoming eventsMay 2023: ITF Leipzig SBMC is proud to have been part of the recent ITF - International Transport Forum Summit 2023 held in Leipzig, Germany recently. The ITF works for transport policies that improve peoples’ lives and is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politically autonomous. As experts in the field of sustainable light electric motorcycles through the standardisation of swappable batteries, one of our members - Hennes Fischer (Yamaha) - participated in a panel discussing the possible solutions to urban mobility problems using electric motorcycles. Discussions included the social benefits of using light electric motorcycles, how carbon emissions can be reduced and what the role of government, industry, sport and rider organisations are to accelerate this development across Europe.  Mr. Hennes Fischer debates how light-weight electric motorcycles may improve urban mobility at ITF Leipzig June 2023: SBMC General Meeting Thanks to Honda’s invitation, the SBMC Annual meeting took place at the R&D facility in Offenbach from June 29-30, 2023, with over 60 participants including technical, regulatory and user experience experts. Stay tuned for more details on the consortium's activities in the next edition of the newsletter.  Over 60 participants at SBMC's Annual Meeting June 2023: MOVE London SBMC were in London recently for the annual tech mobility show, MOVE, and took part in a panel discussion on how tech is allowing for longer micro-mobility lifecycles. Swappable batteries are a key component of sustainable use of light electric vehicles and SBMC members, Yamaha and Swobbee, were keen to give further insights into how SBMC is leading the way with standardisation of safe and reliable charging connectivity technology.  SBMC members Yamaha and Swobbee took part in a panel discussion at the tech mobility show 'MOVE' in London New MembersWe are happy to announce we have 10 new consortium members since the start of 2023, bringing the total number of SBMC members to 39.  New SBMC members that joined in the first half of 2023 The Swappable Battery Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC) received the MOTORRAD Innovation Award 2023! The editorial committee of one of Europe’s biggest motoring press houses has awarded the Swappable Battery Motorcycle Consortium for their efforts to boost e-mobility in the powered two-wheeler markets. SBMC’s standardising work for swappable batteries in scooters, motorcycles and other light vehicles is considered a milestone towards electrification of L-category vehicles. SBMC representatives, Hennes Fischer (Yamaha) and Toshiyuki Asami (Honda), recently accepted the award from Uwe Seitz, the chief editor of the influential MOTORRAD motorcycle magazine, at the well-known ‘Motorcycle of the Year’ event in Stuttgart/Germany.  Hennes Fischer and Toshiyuki Asami received the award from Uwe Seitz (left) Potential game-changer The editorial team quoted, that in their view, SBMC was worthy of this award due to the initiative, driven by the four core members Honda, KTM, Piaggio and Yamaha, to standardise batteries across manufacturers, creating a potential game changer for e-mobility on two wheels. The editorial committee also mentioned that the four founding members have provided a decisive impetus and, have since then, been able to win over other companies from the motorbike, scooter and supplier industry, with their cooperation across brands. The MOTORRAD Innovation Award is now in its fourth year, and it is the first time that an industry consortium has received the award.  MOTORRAD Innovation Award 2023 for SBMC The overall goal of SBMC is the standardisation of relevant components for interoperability of batteries, to achieve this purpose the consortium works with the most recognised standardisation bodies on both on European and global level.
SBMC is growing quickly and has already gained 35 members from motorcycle industry, suppliers, power companies and associations. More than 25 companies gathered at the Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium “Stakeholders meeting” on November 9th in Milan. The international motorcycle exhibition EICMA provided an excellent frame for it, with showcasing many new models of electric Powered Two Wheelers. SBMC welcomed representatives of various European institutions. Mr Thierry LEGRAND (Account Manager Mobility at the CEN-CENELEC) and Mr Cesar SANTOS GIL (Policy Officer for Circular Economy Unit at DG ENVI) took part in the meeting and contributed to the discussions.  SBMC stakeholders meeting in Milano, Italy Battery swapping across brands made possible
Light vehicles are especially suitable for compact and low-voltage batteries. Nowadays, most scooters and motorcycles used for daily commuting are within the so-called 50cc and 125cc category and have a performance ranging to a maximum of 11 kW. SBMC will emphasize a reference battery which will bear an energy mark up to 2 kWh, enabling a relative low weight per battery pack – below 12 kg and relative handling dimensions. With a 48 Volt solution, these batteries are easy to handle and are classified as low-voltage equipment (voltage class A limits) in terms of European regulation. This makes it safe and user-friendly for riders to swap, store and recharge. The objective of SBMC is ensuring that batteries can be exchanged among different brands and types. Thus, swapping stations will be one of the key focus areas of the initiative. To make it safe and convenient for users, electrical, mechanical and safety requirements are addressed too and will be in line with existing and upcoming European and International Regulations. Standardization in progress SBMC concentrates on items such as geometry, mechanical fixing, connectors, and is finalizing the identification of the last relevant items, as key parameters towards interoperability through standardization. As next step, SBMC is carefully taking into consideration also the aspects related to the connectivity of the battery and its infrastructure, as well as cybersecurity. In line with potential requirements, originating from upcoming EU Battery Regulations, and EU Radio Equipment Directive, battery and environmental performances, communication parameters and state machine architecture will be considered for feeding standardization work to guarantee interoperability, safety, security and data protection & cybersecurity. SBMC has already formal liaisons with CEN’s and CENELEC’s TCs/JTCs. A flying start The Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC), founded in September 2021 by KTM, Honda, Piaggio and Yamaha, has quickly grown to 21 members (and counting). Founded with the mission to accelerate the deployment of swappable battery systems by developing and promoting new common technical specifications towards global and open standardization, in its first six months, the consortium took essential steps at an incredible pace. The aim is to ensure full interoperability of swapping batteries to facilitate their application and boost sustainable mobility. This is what emerged during the SBMC Summit held in July 2022, with 40 of its representatives convened at the KTM Motohall in Mattighofen, Austria.  SBMC summit in Mattighofen, Austria Progress This event was the perfect occasion to reflect on the progress made over the consortium’s first semester of existence, and to set the scene for upcoming activities towards standardization. The vision, strategy and operations of the consortium were established across its members, the committees and working groups. The consortium was equipped with the proper tools and instruments to fulfill its ambitions. The set of relevant technical specifications was agreed upon, and the SBMC’s work streams on prototyping and standardization were successfully kicked off. Formal Liaison Member to the CEN-CENELEC Strategic positions were also taken, among which are the acceptance of the SBMC as Formal Liaison Member to the CEN-CENELEC and membership in CEN-TC301 and CEN-CENELEC JTC-13. * Three European Standardization Organizations have been officially recognized by the European Union and by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) as being responsible for developing and defining voluntary standards at European level: CEN, CENELEC and ETSI. Expertise The consortium’s constructive approach has enabled it to overcome the technical challenges of developing interconnected and compatible systems. The SBMC is on track to achieve its goals as planned, and can now count on the best available expertise in the world to do so. The current members are: AVL, Ciklo, Fivebikes, Forsee Power, Hioki, Honda, Hyba, JAMA, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, Niu, Piaggio, Polaris, Roki, Samsung, Sinbon, Sumitomo Electric, Suzuki, Swobbee, Vitesco, VeNetWork (Atex, Fantic, Motori Minarelli), Yamaha.  Working Groups convened on a wide variety of topics Do you want to stay posted about SBMC?
Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page! Following the signing of the Letter of Intent on March 1, HONDA Motor Co., KTM F&E GmbH, Ltd., PIAGGIO Group (PIA.MI) and YAMAHA Motor Co., Ltd., have officially signed the agreement for the creation of the Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC). Committed to the promotion of the widespread use of light electric vehicles, such as mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles in the transport sector and to the more sustainable lifecycle management of batteries in the context of international climate policies, the founding members of the Consortium believe that the availability of a commonly developed swappable battery systems is key to the development of lowvoltage electromobility. The underlying aim of the Consortium is to find solutions to the concerns customers may have regarding the future of electromobility, such as the range, the charging time and infrastructure, and costs. This will be achieved in accordance with four primary goals:
 By working closely with interested stakeholders and National, European and International standardization bodies, the founding members of the Consortium will be involved in the creation of international technical standards. Indeed, the availability of charging stations varies between countries and there is still limited information for end users. Therefore, with this Consortium, HONDA, KTM, PIAGGIO and YAMAHA aim at engaging the decision makers for the development and deployment of charging infrastructure to promote the increase of light electric vehicles. The four founding members encourage all interested stakeholders to join the cooperation to enrich the Consortium’s expertise in order to ensure a large diffusion of standard swappable batteries in the future. Parties who are interested to join the SBMC can contact one of the founding members for further information. Yoshishige Nomura, Chief Officer, Motorcycle Operations, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.: "Honda believes that the widespread adoption of electric motorcycles can play an important part in realising a more sustainable society. For that purpose, we need to solve several challenges such as extending the range, shortening the charging time and lowering the vehicle and infrastructure costs to enhance convenience for customers. In the Consortium we have created, the founding members from the motorcycle industry and other stakeholders will work together towards standardizing swappable batteries, their charging systems and surrounding infrastructure to create the environment for their use. Our final goal is to ensure that motorcycles will continue to be chosen as a useful method of transportation in future mobility." Stefan Pierer, CEO PIERER Mobility AG: “The signing of this Consortium agreement is a key step in ensuring that PIERER Mobility AG, can continue to move forward, deliver innovation at pace, and advance its clear strategic vision for electric powered twowheelers. Together with our partners, we will work to deliver a swappable battery system for lowvoltage vehicles (48V) up to 11kW capacity, based on international technical standards. We very much look forward to ensuring that powered two wheeler vehicles maintain their role in the future of both urban and nonurban mobility." Michele Colaninno, Chief of strategy and product of Piaggio Group: “Urban mobility is going through a delicate moment of transition towards electrification. Thanks to our Consortium, representing four major global players, motorbikes will continue to play a key role in the urban context. Swappable batteries give the right answer to speed up the recharging time of vehicles offering an additional valuable choice for users. Urban mobility is going through a delicate moment of transition towards electrification. Thanks to our Consortium, representing four major global players, motorbikes will continue to play a key role in the urban context. Swappable batteries give the right answer to speed up the recharging time of vehicles offering an additional valuable choice for users. Urban mobility is part of the Piaggio DNA and history: our aim is to bring all our technological knowhow and attitude for innovation to the Consortium.” Takuya Kinoshita, Senior Executive Officer, Chief General Manager of Land Mobility Business Operations, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.:
“The Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium in Europe is finally ready to get to work. I hope that this first step forward will be a beacon that draws like-minded parties to our mission and leads to transformative changes for the future. We at Yamaha Motor are confident that through this initiative, we can help unify the differing technical specs and standards and contribute to maximizing the merits of electric power for customers around the world.” |
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