Nio, the Chinese car manufacturer from Shanghai, has added new battery swapping stations to its network, both in China and internationally. The total number of swap facilities in China now exceeds 1,700 units. The plan is to reach 2,300 units before the end of 2023.
Every day, its systems facilitate about 60,000 battery changes. In Europe, Nio operates more than 25 swap facilities and 10 supercharging stations. The first one was opened in Norway in 2021.
Other EV manufacturers have been reluctant to join this trend, but at least owners of two and three-wheelers can expect swapping services to expand rapidly. Battery Smart, India’s largest network for swapping services aimed at small electric vehicles (EVs), offers two-minute battery swapping services at 774 stations in 30 cities.
The company has chosen interoperable lithium-ion batteries and the vehicle owners can use mobile apps to book their swap services. Recently Battery Smart and Zomato, the Indian online food delivery company, closed a deal covering all swapping services.
Rinshul Chandra, Zomato COO, Food Ordering & Delivery Business, said: “This association with Battery Smart adds further momentum to our commitment as our delivery partners can now leverage a vast and accessible network of battery swapping stations.”
In Europe the Swedish company Power Swap has developed a system that swaps the battery pack in less than three minutes. It is part of AutoEnergy One, which offers automatic fuelling systems. The system is considerably smaller than Nio’s swap station and it is intended for existing refuelling stations and car parks.
