The world's largest electric vehicle battery maker has a drop-dead proposal for motorists.
That's because Contemporary Amperex Technology, better known as CATL, is developing a network of battery swap stations in China that allows drivers to pull in and drop off expired packs in exchange for new ones — all in minutes, according to a company news release and the Associated Press.
Battery swapping is a concept that has long been used by power tool owners. For EVs, it brings a gas station-like concept to power pack tech.
"By 2030, battery swapping, home charging, and public charging stations will share the market," CATL CEO Robin Zeng told the AP.
CATL's network is being rolled out through what it calls Choco-Swap stations. Late last year, officials announced that 1,000 stations were set to open this year, part of 10,000 in the works in the near term, and 30,000 included in the overall vision, per CATL and the AP report.
The stations look like small square garages. EVs pull in and have a battery replaced with automated tech. CATL said the stations operate with a nearly 100% success rate.
"There are nine advantages of Choco-Swap, making batteries chargeable, swappable, upgradeable, leasable, purchasable, buy-backable, visible, manageable, and optimizable. Users can choose between charging, battery swapping, and battery upgrades, as well as leasing, outright purchase, or buyback services," according to the CATL news release.
These sorts of setups aren't new. In the U.S., Ample operates a network of stations in California and last year announced a partnership with Stellantis to expand to Madrid, Spain. A Norwegian NIO driver highlighted the automated ease of that automaker's swap station in a TikTok clip. Once triggered, the vehicle seeks out and finds the nearest swap station, essentially taking over operations until the new pack is installed minutes after entering the garage.
The AP reported that NIO, also a Chinese company, is planning to expand to 5,000 stations, up from the 2,700 already in operation.
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Good driving range 🔋 It's all part of the effort to ease power-up options for motorists, either through charging stations, at-home hook-ups, or these unique swap facilities.
Tesla has a robust 60,000-plus Superchargers globally that can provide hundreds of miles worth of juice in about 15 minutes. And experts in India are developing a universal charger that can handle a wider voltage range. Ford is even paying for a charger and installation costs so its EV customers can plug in at home.
The tech can help increase EV adoption, which accounted for about a fifth of all vehicle sales in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency. Switching to an EV can be part of an overall transportation strategy that not only prevents heat-trapping air pollution but also reduces some of the fumes that are linked to lung, heart, and other health concerns, per World Health Organization experts.
Simply using public transportation more can cut loads of harmful gases while saving you hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs.
The AP story noted that swap stations face some challenges. Pack designs vary, as do EV construction. Both would have to be part of some sort of standard configuration for wide-scale, universal use, per the report. Plus, EV charging is becoming ever faster.
That's partly why University of California, San Diego, renewable energy expert Michael Davidson said in the AP story that he thinks charging stations will be the dominant power-up method.
"Maybe there'll be some battery swapping options mixed in there," he said.
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