Yamaha announces new battery swapping for electric bikes
Japanese e-bike manufacturers are making a run towards battery-swapping as a convenient alternative to stopping and charging batteries. Yamaha is the latest company to spin-out a new battery-swapping venture, today announcing its new ENYRING.
Launching first in Europe, ENYRING is focusing on “collaborations between Yamaha Motor and strategic partner companies, and there are plans to launch operations to expand the business in Germany—starting with Berlin—and in the Netherlands.”
Essentially, it’s a way for Yamaha to partner its way toward an e-bike battery-swapping system without having to do all the heavy lifting on its own.
The service plans to start with electric bicycle batteries, explaining that “these batteries can be easily swapped out at any of the swappable battery stations installed throughout a city at any time, eliminating the hassle of recharging as well as the cost of purchasing a new battery once one reaches the end of its lifecycle.”
The service also plans to take older batteries no longer suitable for use in e-bikes and reuse them as storage batteries, disassembling them into cells to be recycled and reused as new batteries. Many e-bike batteries are considered at their end-of-life when they reach between 70-80% of their original capacity, at which point high power drain from hard riding results in depleted range. But those same battery cells can still live on as stationary batteries in energy storage systems.
While the goal sounds admirable, it’s not yet clear exactly which companies will be able to use Yamaha’s batteries, and whether they will work with multiple existing brands or whether the company is attempting to create a new standard that e-bike companies will need to adopt in order to benefit from the ENYRING service.
This isn’t Yamaha’s first rodeo regarding battery swapping, though the company seems to be taking a more leadership role this time. We’ve previously seen Yamaha participate in a consortium led by Honda and other Japanese mobility companies that seeks to implement Honda’s swappable battery system as an industry standard.
Battery swapping technology, such as widespread systems like Gogoro’s, represents a significant advancement for electric bikes and e-mopeds. This innovative approach addresses one of the main challenges of electric vehicle (EV) ownership: recharging time.
Unlike traditional charging methods, battery swapping allows users to exchange their depleted batteries for fully charged ones at designated stations, a process that usually takes just a few seconds. My wife and I use a battery-swapping Gogoro scooter as our daily transportation and have found battery swaps are usually less than a minute.
This convenience effectively eliminates range anxiety and downtime due to lengthy charging periods. For the industry, the widespread adoption of battery swapping could accelerate the transition to electric mobility. It offers a scalable and user-friendly solution, making e-bikes and e-mopeds more attractive to consumers, especially in urban areas where space for charging stations is limited. We’ve seen that exact scenario play out time and again.
Additionally, this system encourages a more efficient use of resources, as batteries can be centrally charged, potentially using renewable energy, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint of electric transportation. Instead of a battery being used sparingly throughout the week, the same battery can be shared by dozens of riders in near constant use – a far more efficient use of resources.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
Read more: Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. 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. They have 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.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
Read: Chinese solar giant Trina sells its Texas factory a week after it opens
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to 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. They have 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 you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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