CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, said on Wednesday that its rapidly evolving battery-swap technology will be adopted in 10 additional upcoming electric vehicle models from Chinese automakers.
The company plans to expand its battery swap network to 30 cities — up from the current 16 —while aiming to reach 1,000 stations by year-end.
At the Shanghai Auto Show, which started this Wednesday, the company revealed that the Chocolate battery swap stations will serve models that include Hongqi, Changan, BAIC Arcfox, Chery iCar, and GAC‘s Aion unit.
By the end of the year, several GAC models — which include the Aion RT, Aion UT, the second-generation Aion V, and the upcoming AY7 — will gain access to CATL’s network.
Changan, which formed the Avatr brand together with CATL and the tech giant Huawei, will also start using the stations in the fourth quarter with its A05, A07, and SL03 models.
Additionally, the company announced that its battery-swapping ecosystem will support BAIC’s upcoming wide-body family sedan, which is scheduled for release in the second quarter of next year.
CATL’s ‘Choco-Swap’
In mid-December, CATL unveiled its battery swapping ecosystem, the ‘Choco-Swap’ stations, along with two standardized battery models, named “#20” and “#25.”
In a statement, the battery maker said that “Choco-Swap is the first brand featuring standardized battery swapping to achieve cross-brand, cross-vehicle, and cross-industry service capabilities”, collaborating with over 100 partners.
Last month, CATL and the EV maker Nio extended their partnership to build a battery-swapping network for passenger vehicles. The battery maker also pledged to invest up to 2.5 billion yuan ($344 million) in Nio’s energy unit, ‘Nio Power’.
In a joint statement, the two companies said they aim to “advance the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry by building a battery swapping network for passenger vehicles.”
Earlier this month, a Reuters report said CATL was in talks to acquire a controlling stake in Nio Power, which oversees Nio’s battery swapping and charging network. In response, Nio’s chief executive said, “Don’t believe or spread rumors.”
On April 2, CATL announced that it is cooperating with Sinopec in Beijing with both parties committing to a “long-term strategic partnership in the hope of accomplishing a battery-swapping ecosystem across the whole nation.”
The energy companies aim to reach “no less than 500 battery swap stations complete in this year, and up to 10,000 ones in the long run”.
CATL’s New Battery Tech
Earlier this week, CATL unveiled its second-generation ultra-fast charging Shenxing battery, with double the capacity of its previous iteration — claiming it is capable of adding 47 miles in just 30 seconds.
More than 60 new EV models will be equipped with second-gen Shenxing batteries this year, with the company using the Avatr 07 as an example. The brand’s new model is able to charge from 5 to 80% SoC in 15 minutes.
