Many potential customers pay attention to charging times when buying electric cars. Fast charging can therefore prove to be an important selling point. In this regard, NIO celebrated a success that Tesla has not yet achieved: changing the batteries quickly. Now Stellantis could follow suit.
• Tesla abandoned battery swapping as a faster charging option
• NIO has been using battery replacement technology since 2019
• Stellantis sees advantages: cooperation with US startup Ample
Although many electric cars can now charge up to 80 percent of their battery in just 20 minutes, it would be much faster if you could simply replace the batteries of an electric car in a matter of seconds, i.e. replace them with new batteries – like a toy. However, this comes with major technical challenges, as shown by several failures by car manufacturers.
Tesla dropped idea of battery replacement
The best-known example is probably the Musk Group Tesla. Ten years ago, Tesla announced that it wanted to set up a network of battery changing stations where the Model S battery could be replaced in just 90 seconds. But now CEO Elon Musk This idea has long since been discarded on the grounds that customers are not interested in it.
The company Better Place even specialized in replacing batteries. However, the startup’s business concept didn’t work: After burning through $850 million in cash, it filed for bankruptcy in Israel in 2013 and disappeared from the scene.
NIO: Global leader in battery replacement technology
However, the concept of changing batteries has not been shelved – on the contrary. Recent innovations show that this technology can work very well. Since 2019, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer NIO has been offering a battery replacement service for its vehicles. With more than 32 million swaps at more than 2,100 locations, NIO currently maintains its position as the world’s leading user of battery swap technology, according to CNN Business.
Stellantis wants to follow suit and is cooperating with Ample
The Dutch car company Stellantis, which includes brands such as Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge, plans to replace significantly smaller battery modules using this technology. This would have the advantage that small cars would also be eligible to use the technology.
To this end, Stellantis is partnering with US startup Ample, which has already developed a novel battery swapping system suitable for vehicles of various shapes and sizes, without the need for modifications to install a special battery pack. Ample works with companies like Mitsubishi and Uber and successfully operates battery swapping stations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Ample’s innovative approach involves replacing individual sealed battery modules, each about the size of a desktop computer, rather than the entire battery pack, which can weigh more than 450 kilos. Automated machines are used to remove and replace these modules one at a time, allowing all vehicle batteries to be quickly replaced in manageable segments rather than a single large unit.
The advantages of modular batteries
This method extends the battery change to around five to a maximum of ten minutes, depending on factors such as vehicle size and number of modules. However, there are numerous benefits to using separate, smaller battery packs. They enable compact and easy-to-install changing stations and eliminate the need for complex equipment. Because they don’t require powerful charging ports, installation is easier. In addition, these modular batteries adapt to any vehicle shape and thus avoid design restrictions. The system also allows batteries to be charged both via swap stations and conventional EV chargers.
Stellantis is planning a pilot project
Stellantis is planning a trial with 100 Fiat 500e cars in Madrid (Spain). This small vehicle serves as a perfect test of the battery swapping system, offering greater range without increasing the size of the car – or so says Ricardo Stamatti-Avila, vice president in Stellantis’ charging and energy division. “If you want to increase the range of a car, the answer right now is to simply put more batteries in it,” CNN Business quoted Stamatti-Avila as saying. “But when you have limited space, like the Fiat 500, that means we have to make the car bigger and then it’s no longer a Fiat 500, right?”
Success in Spain could lead to a wider rollout for commercial fleets, followed by private customers as more stations become available. However, if the Spanish attempt by Stellantis fails, Stellantis could abandon the concept of battery swapping technology – similar to what Tesla did some time ago.
Editorial team finanzen.net
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