Kawasaki’s patent filing and drawings hint towards a swappable battery solution on a fully faired motorcycle.
Kawasaki, the Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has filed a patent for an electric motorcycle based on the Ninja which could use swappable batteries. The images of the Kawasaki electric bike patent also reveal the unfamiliar battery arrangement and motor replacing the engine. The battery system seen in the patent is expected to be an interesting part of the patent.
The tubular type frame looks conventional, but it’s designed to be modular. It can be seen on the drawings that the side of the frame can be detached from the rest of the motorcycle. This will allow access to the battery compartment of the motorcycle, which can then be swapped with a fully charged battery. Japanese motorcycle giants namely Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki have already joined hands to develop swappable battery technology and charging standard for electric motorcycles. The patent also shows the direction to where the companies are headed.
Removable and swappable batteries have been very important for the smaller electric vehicles. Even with now reduced times for charging, swapping a battery is a lot more convenient. This will also allow people to go on long-distance tours with only swapping batteries until batteries start coming with longer ranges. Lithium-ion batteries are bulky and heavy which makes them difficult to remove, especially on motorcycles and cars.
Kawasaki’s new swappable battery system looks as big as a standard electric motorcycle battery. The company seems to have developed a battery rack which forms the interface of the battery with the frame and allows heavy lifting. The patent which appears to be in its very nascent stage will likely have to wait before it can be actually launched. The company, however, seems to be working on future proof technologies.
Kawasaki Electric Bike Patent
– Images of Kawasaki’s faired electric motorcycle have leaked
– The company is most likely working on a swappable battery system
– The images show a fully-faired Kawasaki Ninja with an electric motor
Source – FreePatentsOnline.com
