While electric passenger vehicles have taken off, especially in recent years, the same hasn't been true of electric motorbikes. There are multiple reasons for this, but two of the biggest problems are the twin issues of energy density and range anxiety. Swappable batteries are one potential solution, but to make it work, you also need to build out a robust supporting infrastructure.
That's why it's encouraging to see a company like Yamaha Motor dive in headfirst. In addition to being part of both the Gachaco battery swapping company in Japan and the Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC) in Europe, it just announced that it's creating an entire new company in Europe to deal with battery swapping for what it describes as "compact urban electric vehicles via subscription-based services."
