The Chinese car manufacturer Nio will set up terminals in Europe for electric cars with brand new technology. The battery will no longer be recharged in the car, but will be exchanged.
It is a technology that could well revolutionize the use of the electric car. Signed by the Chinese manufacturer Nio, the Power Swap Station is a brand new type of terminal intended for electric vehicles.
A complete battery change
The terminal will not charge your electric car but it will physically exchange the battery of the latter. No need to wait long minutes in front of the terminal to recharge, the new battery will be fully charged and the car ready to set off again. According to the manufacturer’s information, this technique would only take 3 minutes.
“Automatic battery and electrical system checks are carried out during each exchange to keep the vehicle and battery in the best possible condition,” says NIO. A video published on the Chinese firm’s Youtube channel shows the entire process.
NIO accelerates in Europe
For the occasion, NIO implemented its system in Europe in Norway and finally in Germany. Ultimately, the goal is to create a comprehensive battery exchange network. Problem: this technology is only available for Chinese brand cars. In China, the network is starting to grow with more than 917 battery exchange stations, according to Presse-Citron.
NIO now wishes to accelerate its deployment on the old continent and win new market shares. On September 16, the company announced the installation of a manufacturing, service and research center in Europe. The latter will take care of the “manufacturing and after-sales service of Power Swap Stations, training in energy operations in Europe and innovation of energy products.”
However, NIO’s Power Swap Station is not a new project. Already in France in the 1990s, the rapid change of batteries was the subject of a collaboration between Better Place and Renault.
