Toshiba Corporation (Kawasaki, Kanagawa; President and CEO Taro Shimada, hereafter “Toshiba”) and naturenix Inc., a battery-tech startup originating from Shimane University (Sumida-ku, Tokyo; CEO Yasuki Kanazawa, hereafter “naturenix”), announced that, based on the results of a free pilot project conducted in Bangkok between September 2024 and March 2025, they will expand the scope of their battery subscription service for motorcycle taxi drivers. A new demonstration, to be conducted from December 2025 through March 2026, will cover more vehicles and wider areas, and this time the service will be provided on a paid basis.

Background

In the earlier pilot, Toshiba supplied its SCiB™ lithium-ion cells, while naturenix developed and manufactured the battery packs, chargers, and motorcycles. The project tested battery swapping at stations and collected dynamic usage data, including temperature profiles during operation, along with user feedback from drivers.

Results confirmed that SCiB™ cells maintained long cycle life even under Bangkok’s high-heat conditions, and that naturenix’s pack and charging technologies met required performance levels.

Details of the New Demonstration

The upcoming phase will include user interviews to validate pricing acceptance, evaluation of technical issues prior to mass production, performance testing of ultra-fast charging at stations, and detailed degradation analysis of the packs. Scale will expand from one to five charging stations, and from a handful of bikes to up to 100 motorcycle taxis across Bangkok and surrounding areas.

Technical Features

The pilot confirmed that Toshiba’s SCiB™ maintains stable performance in hot climates. naturenix has developed a proprietary charging system that enables rapid charging even from common household outlets. Its new-generation packs visualize degradation and usage in real time, support coordinated control across packs, and extend system life.

Designed for reuse and repurposing as well as recycling, they form the basis of a circular electrification ecosystem.

Business Model

The prevailing mass-production, mass-consumption model has created environmental burdens and resource depletion. Toshiba and naturenix aim to replace one-off sales with a subscription service built on long-life batteries, overturning conventional revenue structures in manufacturing and realizing a sustainable model where value is created through extended use.

Future Outlook

Following this demonstration, Toshiba and naturenix target a full-scale rollout of the subscription service for motorcycle taxis in FY2026, with plans to extend similar models to forklifts and other industrial machinery. The vision is to deliver mobility and energy infrastructure as a unified service, expanding applications and business scale. Toshiba Press Release (Aug 21, 2025)