Vammo launches its self-service battery-swapping e-motorcycle system
If you haven’t considered battery swapping as the future of electric motorbikes, then the last few days should give you reason to consider. With companies like Gogoro leading the way and KYMCO hot on their heels, now Vammo is launching its own battery-swapping stations for electric motorcycles.
If you haven’t heard of Vammo before, then you’re probably not alone. Not only did the company recently change its name (formerly Leoparda), but they’ve also started by focusing on an underserved part of the world when it comes to battery-swapping motorcycles: South America.
The startup isn’t brand-new though, they’ve already got the experience of over 75,000 battery swaps under their belt since last December. Those were performed in manual battery-swap stations that required a Vammo representative, but now the company is launching its new self-service stations developed to significantly expand its operations.
Vammo doesn’t develop its own electric motorbikes like Gogoro, but instead partners with existing motorcycle manufacturers to operate a swapping-as-a-service model. For now, the service is available to Vammo’s customers who ride on a wide spectrum of motorcycle models and types, such as the VS2 or VS1 from VMoto SuperSoco. Vammo’s battery-swap stations have been specifically developed to work with various battery types, sizes, and power levels.
That service is particularly useful for delivery riders and motorbike taxis who use their two-wheelers for all-day shifts. With that many kilometers on the road, the massive cost benefits of electric motorbikes stack up even quicker. But ensuring the bikes can ride all day means having freshly charged batteries ready to swap out whenever necessary.
The process takes less than two minutes at Vammo’s new battery stations, or around the same amount of time as a typical fuel fill-up. Riders pull up to the battery swapping cabinets and load in a depleted battery to receive a freshly charged pack.
So far the company has operated the first station for a month in a pilot program, seeing around 75 swaps per day at its São Paolo location. The ultimate goal is to increase to 500 stations across Brazil before expanding to other South American cities. Starting in Brazil is particularly compelling since the country’s electric grid is served by around 90% renewable energy generation.
As Vammo CEO Jack Sarvary explained:
The autonomy of electric vehicles has always been one of the reasons that have slowed down the mass adoption of this type of vehicle, but our swap stations will overcome this challenge and encourage the use of electric bikes. We are committed to promoting electrification in Latin America in a way that makes sense for consumers financially, with convenience and safety. We deeply believe it will be the key turning point to popularize electric mobility in the region.
Interestingly, the cabinets are designed with variable charging rates that can respond to current battery demand.
Vammo’s director of hardware engineering Jeff Inhofer explained how that works:
We can choose the pace of recharging according to the demand for batteries. If a location has a higher demand, we can accelerate battery charging in each compartment individually. A three-hour recharge is ideal, but we can do it in less than 45 minutes if we want to.
Inhofer, who previously led development for the V3 Supercharger at Tesla, added that the current prototype testing period will help the company refine those systems:
These prototypes will be used to ensure we have all the features needed for a safe and easy swapping experience. Testing them on the streets of Brazil allows us to make last-minute changes or improvements before we start going into mass production.
Electrek’s Take
Sign me up! Like, literally. I’d use this service in a heartbeat. Heck, I want to try one of these Vammo swaps.
In fact, I already use battery swapping in my daily life. I own a Gogoro electric scooter and I swap batteries roughly once a week. In the first 1,500 km (nearly 1,000 miles) I’ve put on the scooter, I haven’t charged it once. I just swap batteries in a few seconds at one of a dozen stations around town and continue on my way. The scooter does highway speeds, takes me everywhere I need to go, and is my main source of transportation.
And that’s exactly what Vammo is doing for Brazil, a country that hasn’t yet benefitted from the expansion of Asia’s leading battery swapping companies. Vammo also has its work cut out for it since South American electric motorcycle users often prefer higher-power rides with bigger batteries that are able to go farther and faster in more spread out communities. That means Vammo’s stations have had to account for that, and it looks like they have based on the massive doors on these battery cabinets. My Gogoro batteries are relatively small in comparison, so Vammo is definitely having to react to a different local motorcycle culture and its unique needs.
The process doesn’t look quite as slick as Gogoro’s “drop it in” stations, since it appears you still have to plug and unplug the battery yourself. But at least it’s something that the rider can do by themselves instead of needing an employee to perform any part of the battery swap.
This is definitely an exciting one to keep an eye on. I’ll be following Vammo closely to see if they can do for South America what Gogoro is doing in Asia.
Oh, and if one of these freakin’ companies wants to finally bring battery swapping to the laggards in North America and Europe, that’d be mighty appreciated! Bunch of cavemen having to slow charge our bikes over here…. grumble grumble.
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Say what you will about Elon Musk, but Tesla has changed the way that millions of people buy cars and, by extension, car insurance. Now, Honda is taking a page from Tesla’s successful playbook and launching its own in-house insurance business. Enter: Honda Insurance Solutions.
Honda Insurance Solutions is being launched as a fully licensed insurance agency serving the insurance needs of Acura and Honda customers, but it’s not stopping at competitive pricing and coverage options for Honda cars and motorcycles. Honda Insurance Solutions promises to go several steps beyond Tesla’s offering with coverage for trailers, RVs, homes, and even pets.
“Honda Insurance Solutions offers customers access to coverage through a brand they know and trust,” says Petar Vucurevic, President, American Honda Insurance Solutions, LLC and Senior Vice President, American Honda Finance Corporation. “Insurance is a key touchpoint in the vehicle ownership journey, and we aim to deliver a superior experience tailored to the unique needs of each customer, while promoting safer driving and increased peace of mind on the road.”
The company says the launch of its new insurance business is just part of Honda’s broader digital vehicle sales platform strategy, with future plans to integrate insurance offerings into new products.
Electrek’s Take
It’s important to note some of the key differences between Honda’s insurance offering and Tesla’s. Honda isn’t offering discounts, they’re not bundling insurance premiums into the vehicle financing, and they’re not building their insurance offerings into their dealerships’ checkout/F&I offices. Not yet, anyway.
What Honda is doing right now is deepening relationships with its existing customers and finding ways to make money on products it hasn’t sold them – whether that’s the Harley parked in the garage next to their Prologue or the garage itself.
It’s a smart play. And, once Honda figures out a way to cut franchise dealers out entirely and go to a direct sales model, it’ll look even smarter.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda.
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Nobody ever says “this is business” before doing something nice, and the recently reborn Lion Electric company is keeping that streak alive by doing the unthinkable to cut costs: they’re going to void the warranties on hundreds of electric school buses.
In a letter issued to exiting Lion Electric customers last week, Deloitte Restructuring announced that the warranties on all Lion vehicles purchased outside of the company’s home Province of Quebec are null and void – leaving dozens of school districts in the lurch with stranded assets that won’t get fixed, and can’t be sold to generate funds for replacements.
“We are working with alternate vendors at the expense of the school district to help keep our electric buses functional and on the road,” explains Dr. Richard Decman, Superintendent of Herscher CUSD No. 2 district in Herscher, Illinois. “Currently, six of our 25 (Lion) electric buses need some type of repair.”
Student Transportation News reports that Lion buses represent fully half of Herscher’s overall fleet of 50 buses, and that the district has received nearly $10 million for the purchase of 25 electric buses and the related charging stations from various state and utility incentive programs.
Herscher isn’t the only district having problems with Lion buses. “All four Lion buses that we own are currently parked and not being used,” Coleen Souza, interim transportation director of Winthrop Public Schools, told Clean Trucking. “Two of them are in need of repairs which would cost us money which we are not willing to invest in because the buses do not run for more than a month before needing more repairs.”
More of the same in Maine, where Yarmouth School Department bought two Lion Electric buses in 2023 with the state covering the costs. According to Superintendent Andrew Dolloff, the buses almost never worked. “We’ve had some sporadic service over the past two years, but as soon as the tech leaves, the buses produce error codes again,” explained Dolloff. ” and “Then the technician quits or is released, and we wait a few months for the next response.”
Dolloff added that Yarmouth’s electric buses did not operate during the 2024-25 school year.
Lion’s new owners are seemingly uninterested in their customers’ plight – which might be easily dismissed if those new owners, Groupe MACH, weren’t also the old owners of Lion Electric.
That’s right, kids. Quebec-based real estate company Groupe MACH, which stepped in to “save” Lion Electric earlier this summer, along with Ontario-based Mirella & Lino Saputo Foundation, bought $90 million of equity in Lion Electric back in 2023. And, while the MACH people may not have been the ones who ultimately made the call about voiding the warranties (that decision was made by the Deloitte bankruptcy team), it is absolutely Group MACH who have, to date, not announced plans to continue to honor those warranties, either.
Make of that what you will.
Deloitte Lion letter
SOURCES: School Transportation News, Clean Trucking, Deloitte.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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![The Retrospec Beaumont Rev 2 might be the most stylish eBike for under $1K [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/Retrospec-Beaumont-side-dark.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
We recently had the opportunity to test out Retrospec’s Beaumont Rev 2 electric bike. This Class 2 electric city bike is as stylish as it is functional. Despite its streamlined design, the Beaumont Rev 2 is sneaky fast with quality components throughout. Be sure to check out our full video review below.
Our latest product review came through Retrospec – a veteran micromobility company dedicated to delivering affordable, high-quality, adventure-ready eBikes without compromising performance or style.
According to Retrospec, its products aim to “make nature second nature” by offering accessible, high-quality gear that encourages people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoors to “make nature second nature” by providing accessible, high-quality gear that encourages people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outside world.
Designed for adventure and built to last, Retrospec prides itself on delivering mobility products look great, perform flawlessly, and stand up to the test of time. A fine example of this company ethos is the Beaumont Rev 2 electric city bike.
The Beaumont Rev 2 has already gone viral as Retrospec’s number one best seller. It initially caught our eye because it combines a stylish vintage look of classic bicycles with modern tech to cruise quickly and easily.
We recently had an opportunity to take one of these eBikes out and have plenty to say about it.
Upon first ride, you can’t ignore the classic style of this eBike, which looks and feels super light, similar to a conventional bicycle. However, with one press of the throttle, you get a feel for the function and versatility of the Beaumont Rev 2, which was designed by Retrospec specifically for city riding.
The bike’s powerful rear hub motor is supported by a Shimano MegaRange drivetrain that can easily be switched between seven different gears with your right hand.
The electric motor offers five different levels of electric pedal assist and an easy-to-use throttle on the left handlebar (pictured below). As a Class 2 eBike, the Beaumont Rev 2 can cruise to assisted speeds as high as 20 mph. The bike itself is powered by a UL2849-Certified Battery that offers riders a range of up to 38 miles on a single charge.
If you encounter dirt or debris on your journey, you’re protected by full-wrap front and rear fenders. Other features of the Retrospec Beaumont Rev 2 include front and rear lights, a rear cargo rack, and Tektro mechanical disc brakes (pictured above).
Combined with the padded saddle seat and swingback handlebars, the Beaumont Rev 2 is as comfortable and supportive of a ride as it is functional.
As an urban-style e-bike, the Beaumont Rev 2 isn’t necessarily built for off-road riding, but as you’ll see in the video below, there were a couple of times I cut through some grassy terrain to get on and off the bike path, and the bike fared just fine.
I truly enjoyed the smooth comfort of this unique, Euro-style step-through bike thanks to its wide, high-volume city tires. It also feels like it rides a lot faster than 20 mph due to its light frame and best-in-class powertrain components.
While the Beaumont Rev 2 comes with the above mentioned accessories, Retrospec sells many compatible add-on components, including helmets, baskets, trailers, bike bags & panniers, air pumps, and car racks. In addition to the Beaumont Rev 2, Retrospec offers a growing lineup of all-electric city bikes. We highly recommend checking those out to find the right bike for you.
Retrospec also offers a range of other eBike categories, including fat tire electric bikes, electric beach cruiser bikes, electric commuter bikes, electric trikes, and more. All Retrospec eBikes are UL2849 certified, feature sleek and stylish designs, and employ the most modern eBike technology to make riding an absolute blast. Check out the full lineup here.
If you’re interested in riding in style on Retrospec’s best-selling Beaumont Rev 2 eBike, you can purchase one here. This blend of classic and modern is available for just under $1,000, making it one of the most affordable options in its class.
To learn more about this stylish electric city bike, be sure to check out our full video review below.
Buy the Retrospec Beaumont Rev 2
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