Electric car charging is still the elephant in the room. Although electric car advocates (and myself) claim that, with some planning, a trip should not take too long, the truth is that range anxiety remains one of the great adversaries of the technology.
At the moment, we must not lose sight of the fact that vehicles offering long ranges are also electric cars with a high price tag. This is compounded by two variables. First, it is advisable to implement a few tips to limit delays and encourage the fastest possible recharging.
The second is that the industry has long been warning that electric car batteries will not grow in the short term. Renault is betting on LFP for its lower-cost electric vehicles. Ford has made it clear that long range and low price are not compatible in the coming years. And Toyota is aiming beyond 2026 for its electric cars to offer more kilometers than they do now. And at a higher price, of course.
All this gives wings to the project that Stellantis and Ample will test in Madrid. Both companies have reached a collaboration agreement to test a battery exchange service. In this way they intend to “recharge” an electric car completely in the same time that the fuel tank is filled.
The battery exchange
As announced by both companies, Stellantis and Ample have reached an agreement to distribute battery exchange stations in Madrid.
The project will be available for a hundred Fiat 500e specifically adapted for this purpose and used in its Free2move carsharing platform.
According to Stellantis, the procedure is possible thanks to Ample’s production of modular batteries, which makes it possible to incorporate batteries of different sizes into electric cars regardless of their size. With this specification, they say, there is no need to redesign the platform to take advantage of battery swapping.
The station, of which it is not specified how many units will be deployed, can be installed in three days, according to the company. With it, the electric vehicle can be recharged in just five minutes. The process only requires the driver to park the vehicle and initiate the process from the cell phone.
What is not specified in the information provided is the number of stations that will be available. Nor if the service will be available to private customers, although, considering that it is a pilot project, it is expected that it will only be used by carsharing cars.
The project has its advantages and disadvantages. The information provided by Stellantis indicates that both companies are in talks “to meet the demand of fleets and customers in other Stellantis platforms and geographic areas”. This is precisely the most interesting use: the fleet vehicle.
Both car sharing vehicles and those purchased by companies with large fleets of cars can look forward to charging in just five minutes. Especially those who do not have an overnight recharge and have their electric cars always on the road.
For private customers, Stellantis assures that it could be a good option with a subscription system. The company says in the information provided that it is an alternative to access the electric vehicle at a more affordable price, as the battery would not belong to the customer.
Ample’s battery technology would be made available to electric vehicle customers through a subscription service. This approach would reduce the total initial cost of the vehicle and allow the customer to benefit from always having the latest battery technology, which would increase the EV’s range and lifetime.
However, the battery exchange system may not be too interesting for the individual customer. At the time, Motorpasión tested the battery exchange system that Renault tried to deploy together with Better Place and that was a resounding failure.
At the moment, NIO also wants to try its luck. The company is deploying this system in China in what appears to be a pilot test from which to draw conclusions. However, it already has 30 such stations in Europe. However, at the beginning of this year they assured that they would have deployed a total of 130 facilities where to exchange batteries.
It must be taken into account that manufacturers are betting on integrating the battery into the chassis to gain the greatest possible autonomy and, at the same time, give rigidity to the vehicle. This is a move they cannot afford with battery swapping, so the car may be much less attractive to those looking to buy a car and own it for as many years as possible.