With a single voice command — "I want to swap battery" — a TikToker in Norway began a quick and seemingly easy process (on the human's part) to change battery packs in a NIO electric vehicle.
It's a unique look, from the driver's point of view, of one answer to sustained charge times for EVs.
NIO is among the companies using battery-swapping stations that allow drivers to switch spent power packs for new ones. NIO's stations are primarily in China (2,000 of them) and Europe, per InsideEVs. However, the concept is being developed by other companies stateside as well.
The TikTok clip demonstrates the ease the concept brings to recharging. After issuing the voice command, the EV's onboard computer delivers directions to the nearest swap station.
"Nicely done," the EV's voice, coming from an artificial intelligence-powered car assistant called Nomi, states when the driver parks in the designated spot outside the station. The AI even has eyes, via a unit on the dash that swivels as it interacts with the driver.
Once parked, the EV's pleasant voice instructs the driver to essentially sit back and let the computers take over, as the automated system drives the car into the station. Then, the battery is exchanged for a charged one in a matter of minutes. The driver stays inside the EV the entire time.
@iamstine ♬ original sound - StineDrives
NIO offers a Battery-as-a-Service plan, "providing comprehensive services enabled by vehicle-battery separation, battery subscription, and the chargeable, swappable, and upgradable batteries," according to NIO's website.
InsideEVs reports that the plan "uncouples the cost, maintenance, and upgradability of batteries from the overall vehicle costs," among various other perks.
NIO told InsideEVs that the latest generation of swap stations can exchange 408 power packs each day.
It's part of an exciting time for the EV industry as companies develop ways to extend charge times while motorists look for more affordable and planet-friendly transportation options. Tesla, for example, has a robust system of more than 50,000 Supercharger stations in the U.S., per the company.
NIO's solution eliminates the need to plug in and wait 20 minutes for your EV to charge, and the high-tech AI does most of the work.
"You can have your battery swapped with a fully charged one … in only three to five minutes," InsideEVs Dan Mihalascu wrote.
The TikTok clip is an effective marketing tool for NIO's innovation. It has more than 3,400 comments.
"I have to admit. That is pretty slick," one user posted.
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