Chinese battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) will venture into the world of battery swapping through its new EVOGO brand.
CATL supplies its batteries to a number of different automakers, including Tesla, Volkswagen, Fisker, and NIO. The latter already operates a large battery swapping service in China that is now also expanding to Europe.
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While some details about CATL’s own battery swapping plans remain unclear, it did recently sign a partnership agreement with Guizhou Province in southwest China to establish a network of battery swapping stations. Through the partnership, CATL will construct battery swapping stations for electric vehicles while also looking to promote the development of the whole EV industry.
Nio has established itself as the leader in battery swap technologies in recent years. As of December 31, 2021, it was operating more than 750 battery swap stations throughout China and has recently opened a handful in Norway. It plans to expand the service into Germany and given that Nio has ambitions to enter the North American market, it’s entirely possible that the U.S. and Canada will also see some swapping stations pop up in the coming years. Nio is also working alongside Shell to establish a network of co-branded swapping stations.
Geely is also investing heavily in the technology. In October 2021, it announced plans to establish 5,000 battery swapping stations across China by 2025. Its stations will take just 59 seconds to swap out an empty battery for a fully charged one and payments will be automatic, meaning drivers won’t even have to leave their vehicle.
