Report

Pre-feasibility Study on a Battery Swapping System for Electric 2-wheelers in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

Ministry of Planning and Investment, British Embassy in Laos and GGGI release a Pre-feasibility Study on a Battery Swapping System for Electric 2-wheelers in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.

With support from the Lao PDR Ministry of Planning and Investment and the British Embassy in Laos, the pre-feasibility study conducted by GGGI examines the financial viability and environmental sustainability of implementing a Battery Swapping System model for electric two-wheelers in Vientiane Capital, to contribute to achieve the Government of Lao PDR’s 2030 target on 30% electric vehicles penetration.

A Battery Swapping System, in simple terms, is replacing a discharged battery with a fully charged battery using a kiosk-based swapping structure which can house 6 to 10 batteries. The operation takes less than a minute and the system is getting increasingly popular globally as a way to accelerate the electrification to the 2-wheelers vehicle segment, by addressing some of the key challenges towards wider user adoption, namely range anxiety, long charging times, battery degradation, battery disposal, as well as high upfront costs, because e-scooters can be purchased without the battery, the latter being rented. According to the study, due to competitive electricity prices in Laos, e-scooters are cheaper to operate for the user than petrol equivalent. Powering the transport sector with domestically produced electricity, largely from renewable hydropower sources, will also have a significant positive impact on the country’s trade deficit.

During the launch event which was co-chaired by H.E. Mrs. Phonevanh Outhavong, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment, British Ambassador Mr. John Pearson and Mr. Rowan Fraser, Country Director of GGGI emphasized that the ultimate purpose of this study is to translate the 9th NSEDP, the National Green Growth Strategy, Paris Agreement and the Global Agenda 2030 into plans, activities and actions and they encouraged the private sector to fully utilize the detailed information from the study to develop alternative solutions to internal combustion engines motorbikes”.

The study is available to download on GGGI’s website (www.gggi.org).