KUALA LUMPUR: Ni Hsin Group Bhd's unit, Ni Hsin EV Tech Sdn Bhd, signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with MNA Energy Sdn Bhd (MNAE) to develop battery technology for electric motorcycles (EV two-wheelers).
The company said the partnership would also allow Ni Hsin EV to participate in the business and growth of MNAE.
Ni Hsin EV Tech managing director Khoo Chee Kong said the company saw EV Two Wheelers leading the adoption of alternative power sources to reduce carbon footprint and transition towards a greener economy.
"We are developing, in collaboration with MNAE, an advanced battery system and a standardised battery swapping infrastructure for EV two-wheelers that will be convenient to riders who can easily exchange their depleted batteries with fully-charged ones at stations that we are setting up.
"We believe this will boost the use of EV two-wheelers in urban areas," he said in a statement yesterday.
Khoo said its collaboration with MNAE complements its venture into the e-mobility business as battery systems are critical to EV two-wheelers by collaborating with China's Dongguan Tailing Electric Vehicle Co Ltd.
"We are now working towards getting the vehicle type approval (VTA) permit from the Road Transport Department for these EV two-wheelers as the VTA is important for MNAE's SmartSwap programme," he said.
The battery swapping system developed by MNAE will feature battery tracking and management via a cloud-connected network through which the battery's lifespan can be monitored.
The system can be compared to the one launched by Gogoro, the Taiwanese battery-swapping refuelling platform for urban EV Two Wheelers.
"Our collaboration with MNAE is also about supporting local capabilities in the development of green technology while promoting sustainability in line with our environmental, social and governance responsibilities.
"This is also in line with Malaysia's drive to encourage electric vehicle ownership and development of related infrastructure in the country," he added.
The EV ecosystem is supported by Malaysia's National Automotive Policy, in which there are specific initiatives to strengthen the ecosystem.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said these initiatives include critical parts manufacturers, standard-setting, and research and development leading to commercialisation of local EV technologies.
MNAE was established in 2016 and has been awarded research grants by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to develop next-generation battery technology.
MNAE produces battery energy storage systems for electric mobility and stationary applications such as telecommunications towers and solar energy farms.
It is pioneering Electric Mobility-as-a-Service (EMaaS) in Malaysia by developing SmartSwap, a turnkey solution for a battery swapping infrastructure for electric motorcycles.