CATL said in a recent interview with The Financial Times that it also plans to roll out its battery-swapping and recycling technology to Europe, in a move that could have significant ramifications for the regional market. CNBC has contacted CATL for further details.
Modern battery-swapping technology, while popular in China, is yet to take off in Europe. Chinese EV maker and battery-swapping pioneer Nio is one exception. The company has introduced 60 battery swap stations across Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Jeep and Dodge maker Stellantis, meanwhile, recently partnered with U.S.-based Ample to integrate battery swapping technology to a fleet of 100 Fiat 500 EVs in Madrid, Spain.
The experience of using a battery swap station is thought to be very similar to using an automated car wash. The EV driver parks the car on a platform with an integrated system, which removes the depleted battery from beneath the vehicle and replaces it with a fresh, fully charged one. The whole process takes about five minutes.