Honda to debut battery swap station system in Vietnam next year

Honda Vietnam unveiled the plan at the Honda Thanks Day 2025 event, held in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-December.

The Japanese carmaker is considering deploying the Power Pack Exchanger e: nationwide, with operations expected to begin as early as next year.

Globally, Honda’s battery swap model is not new.

The system has been commercially deployed in Japan for several years and is being tested and expanded in India and other Asian markets, mainly serving electric motorcycles, electric three-wheelers and urban transport services.

The Honda Power Pack Exchanger e: allows riders to replace a depleted battery with a fully charged one in just a few minutes, roughly the same amount of time it takes to refuel a conventional petrol vehicle, eliminating the need to wait hours for charging.

The system consists of a modular metal cabinet housing multiple battery slots that both store and charge batteries.

Each slot is ergonomically angled to make inserting and removing batteries easier, reducing the risk of slipping or dropping while improving stability during charging.

Every battery compartment operates independently and is managed by a battery management system, which continuously monitors key parameters such as temperature, voltage and charging current.

This helps prevent overheating, overcurrent and unstable charging, enhancing overall safety.

Designed for outdoor installation, the Power Pack Exchanger e: features a sealed structure that is resistant to dust and water and capable of withstanding typical urban weather conditions.

As a result, the cabinets can be installed at dealerships, parking areas or residential complexes.

While battery swapping takes only minutes, charging is handled centrally and under controlled conditions, helping to extend battery lifespan, reduce degradation and improve safety compared with home charging.

In Vietnam, Honda electric models that use swappable batteries include the CUV e:, debuted in October 2024 but currently offered only through a rental model, and the Benly e:, an electric delivery motorcycle that has been in operation since 2021 through partnerships with Vietnam Post and Lotteria.

At present, Honda has 18 dealerships nationwide that support battery swapping for CUV e: electric scooters.

However, these locations still rely on individual chargers rather than the dedicated Power Pack Exchanger e: system.

Battery swapping for electric motorcycles already exists in Vietnam, but network coverage remains limited.

Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast is planning to expand its battery swap infrastructure and introduce new models compatible with swappable batteries.

Selex Motors has built and maintained hundreds of battery swap stations focused on the delivery sector.

Also, TMT Motors is also expected to tap the field, although its detailed roadmap has yet to be announced.