Charge an electric car as fast as filling a petrol one? Chinese EV battery giant CATL to launch ambitious battery swap project that could be the end of range anxiety... and petrol stations

CATL will co-develop 10 new electric cars with Chinese EV partners as the battery giant aims to roll out 1000 battery swap stations across China next year.

CATL founder and Chairman Zeng Yuqun said the future models from SAIC Motor, Changan Automotive and FAW Group will come fitted with CATL’s new “choco swapping electric block (SEB)” batteries, allowing for a full battery swap in approximately three minutes.

For comparison, most car brands claim a charging time of between 10 to 80 per cent in approximately 30 minutes on a DC fast charger.

The two Choco SEB batteries will utilise lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry and are designed for A- and B-class sized vehicles, such as the BYD Dolphin or BYD Seal.

Initially, CATL plans to build the first 1000 stations itself under its subsidiary EVOGO before partnering with other manufacturers to open as many as 30,000 stations in China. The move could reduce the number of fuel stations in the country by a third.

“We will continue to promote the standardisation of battery swapping, and the most important thing is the standardisation of battery size,” said Zeng.

Zeng said the stations will aim to use as much green energy as possible.

CATL Choco-Swap battery

Customers will purchase a monthly subscription to access the technology, which will start at 369 Yuan ($81) per month.

The sheer scale of CATL’s plans makes it one of the most ambitious battery swap projects yet, which, if successful, will have huge implications for reducing range anxiety, one of the largest hurdles associated with boosting EV uptake.

Battery swap stations work much like a drive-through car wash. Owners drive in and have their depleted battery swapped for a fully charged one autonomously from underneath.

It’s also pitched as a more environmentally-friendly method of battery charging given it charges the battery slower than fast-charging stations, which improves battery lifespan and helps to reduce electronic waste.

The technology was originally pioneered by US-based startup Better Place, which launched its first battery swap stations in Israel in 2008 before the company went bankrupt in 2013.

Nio Power Swap station 4.0

Tesla – which CATL considers one of its major clients – also dabbled in the technology in 2013 on its Model S sedan before abandoning it in 2015 in favour of its more profitable fast-charging technology.

Currently, Chinese EV brand Nio is the biggest player in the segment, operating some 2800 stations across China as of this month.

Although not a direct line to future battery-swap technology in Australia, these Chinese companies do export, or have something to do with, established carmakers.

SAIC Motor owns brands MG and LDV which are both sold in Australia. In China, Changan has partnered with Mazda and Ford for joint ventures, while FAW deals with and produces Toyota and Volkswagen products.