A Japanese consortium has agreed on a standardized design for swappable batteries for electric motorcycles, in a bid to spur adoption of the cleaner vehicles and catch up with Chinese rivals.

The group, which includes major manufacturers Honda and Yamaha, said the new standardised battery will be available from 2020.

The move comes as e-bike sales have been booming in China, where several firms have rolled out swappable battery models, while Japanese firms have been lagging behind.

"In order to popularize electric motorcycles in Japan, it is an urgent task to solve the problem of (a lack of) battery standardization," the group said in a statement.

The consortium said it will promote the use of the standardized battery at motorcycle parking lots and other locations, and is also considering setting up a system to recycle used batteries.