Ola Electric has patented a removable battery pack that could power the manufacturer’s future electric vehicles. The patent image reveals a rectangular box with a grab handle on top, little different to the swappable battery packs offered by some electric two-wheeler manufacturers. The filing of the patent could imply that Ola Electric is evaluating entering the swappable battery space. The technology could be incorporated into the brand's upcoming electric motorcycles.
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The removable battery pack could also hint at Ola Electric’s foray into the shared mobility segment. Swappable battery packs offer benefits such as reduced downtime with the vehicle not requiring to remain stationary for more than a few minutes to swap out the used battery with a charged unit. Considering that Ola is working on its own new range of electric three-wheelers, the swappable battery pack would make complete sense. This would be starkly different in contrast to the brand’s electric scooter range, which uses a fixed battery setup.
At present, Honda already applies removable batteries in electric three-wheelers in select markets. Alternately, Yuma Energy is running swappable batteries on its EVs as part of the last-mile mobility option. Hero MotoCorp’s Vida is the only mainstream EV brand to employ the technology on its electric scooters but the removable battery can be taken home for charging rather than being swapped immediately for a new, fully-charged unit.
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Ola Electric is working on several new offerings including the e-three-wheeler, electric motorcycles, and an electric car. The e-bikes are confirmed to arrive by early next year while the e-car should be here in another few years. Ola Electric’s scale-up will require the manufacturer to look at alternate solutions amidst fading government incentives to make its offerings more accessible. The removable battery pack could be a step in that direction.
