While swappable batteries are slow-burners in the electric car market, they have been a quick hit for e-scooters and e-bikes, making it easier and cheaper for rental companies to keep the small vehicles available on city streets.
But the fast-growing micromobility industry faces a bottleneck as companies, reluctant to relinquish their own tech secret sauce, resist widespread standardization of batteries, a development that could turbocharge efficiency.
When e-scooters first hit the streets in large numbers a few years ago, major providers like Dott and Tier had to shove their scooters into vans daily and haul them to suburban warehouses to charge overnight — adding to urban congestion and meaning those scooters were not out on the streets ready to rent.