Latest news with #Choco-SEB
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Great News for Nio's Massive Battery-Swapping Ambitions
Nio offers battery swaps at thousands of locations across China. CATL is working with automakers to standardize battery-swap technology. Rumors are swirling that CATL could purchase some of Nio's battery-swapping unit. 10 stocks we like better than Nio › Nio (NYSE: NIO) has always been a fascinating stock to follow with its many ups and downs. The Chinese automaker is poised for strong growth on the back of launching two entirely new brands, Onvo and Firefly. Nio is also intriguing for its decision to push battery-swap technology, which it offers at thousands of locations. The idea is foreign to many U.S. investors, but it's far more popular in China. Nio recently received some good news regarding its battery-swap ambitions -- here's what you need to know. A battery swap is simply when someone with an appropriate vehicle drives a depleted battery into a swap station, and replaces it with a fully charged battery. Nio's newest vehicles can do this in roughly two-and-a-half minutes. Now, let's get to the good news. Another Chinese battery maker, CATL, is working with a group of Chinese automakers on a battery swapping technology that takes just over 90 seconds. According to Car News China, 1,000 electric vehicle (EV) sedans with CATL's "Choco-SEB" swappable battery have been delivered to a taxi company -- a near-perfect application for battery swaps that would limit downtime for taxi drivers. Wait a second, isn't more battery-swap competition a bad thing for Nio? Absolutely not. Nio's competition isn't truly other battery-swapping tech -- its competition is fast-charging stations. Nio needs to create an ecosystem of vehicles that use its setup to have a thriving userbase for its swapping stations, and CATL can help with this aim. CATL is working to bring together a group of automakers to develop a standardized system for battery swaps that could vastly increase the number of swapping vehicles on the road. Furthermore, rumors are floating around that CATL is looking to purchase a controlling stake in Nio Power's battery swapping unit, which, depending on the potential agreement, could vastly increase the scale of battery-swapping technology. CATL is already working on building out a network of its stations. It's also likely that Nio's more affordable and higher-volume brand, Firefly, could bring in a fleet of new vehicles to match this new standard. This all sounds great, so where's the drawback? The catch, if you want to call it that, is that competition with fast-charging stations is increasing as companies find ways to speed up the process. In fact, automakers are already hard at work to beat BYD's five-minute EV fast-charging benchmark. It's certainly a risky ambition to build out a capital-intensive network of battery-swap stations that may only save a few minutes compared to fast-chargers. Another drawback is that the idea of a standardized battery development (so many platforms of vehicles can use the same battery-swap technology) means that these batteries and designs could be slower to evolve at a time when individual companies are trying to race ahead with breakthroughs. CATL, a juggernaut battery producer, coming on board to push battery-swapping networks with multiple automakers is a huge deal for Nio, and that's before considering the doors it could open as the two companies grow more ties. Furthermore, if CATL does purchase a controlling stake in Nio Power's battery-swap business, it could give a young cash-burning company some extra capital. No matter how you spin it, this development is great news for Nio's massive battery-swap ambitions, one of the company's biggest risks. Before you buy stock in Nio, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Nio wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $656,825!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $865,550!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Daniel Miller has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Great News for Nio's Massive Battery-Swapping Ambitions was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Daily Tribune
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
China accelerates EV battery swapping with new tech from CATL
TDT | agencies China is not just leading the global electric vehicle (EV) market—it's poised to transform the way EVs are powered. Chinese automakers and battery giants are now pushing battery swapping technology to new heights. Changan Automobile has launched the first 1,000 units of its Oshan 520 sedan, primarily targeting taxi services. However, these vehicles mark a major technological leap as the first to feature CATL's innovative Choco-SEB swappable battery packs. These batteries can be exchanged in just 100 seconds at dedicated swap stations—an efficiency game-changer for EV users. Chongqing already hosts 34 such stations, and CATL plans to expand this network to 1,000 stations across 31 cities by 2025. The infrastructure is designed to support up to 822 swaps per day per station, offering a fast, convenient alternative to conventional charging. CATL, the world's largest EV battery manufacturer, is partnering with major automakers—including Nio, Chery, GAC, SAIC, FAW, and BAIC—to integrate this technology into upcoming models. Among the vehicles adopting the Choco-SEB system are the GAC Aion S, Hongqi E-QM5, SAIC Roewe D7, BAIC C66, Wuling Bingo, and SAIC's Maxus range. While ideal for commercial fleets and taxis, this technology also has significant potential for long-distance drivers. Battery swapping stations on highways could one day rival the convenience of traditional petrol stations, making EV ownership even more practical and appealing.
South China Morning Post
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Chinese EV industry pits battery swapping technology against ultra-fast charging
Efforts by the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) industry to reduce consumer anxiety about driving ranges have pitted battery swapping technology against ultra-fast charging capabilities, even though both save time for drivers. Advertisement 'Carmakers and consumers now have two options as they choose which kind of EVs to buy,' said Davis Zhang, a senior executive at Suzhou Hazardtex, a supplier of specialised batteries, in an interview last week. 'Each of the technologies has its own advantages and disadvantages, but they will coexist over a long period of time.' The battery swap model allows EV owners to exchange a spent pack for a fully charged one in just 100 seconds. And fast-charging technology gives a vehicle 400km of driving range in five minutes. CATL plans to build 1,000 stations to support battery swapping in China this year. At the end of 2024, Robin Zeng Yuqun, the company's founder and chairman, said CATL had secured subscription orders for 107,500 of its Choco-SEB swappable batteries from more than 30 companies. Advertisement Nio and CATL showed off their latest product offerings at the Auto Shanghai trade show, which ends on Friday. But they are grappling with BYD to attract visitors at the show. The world's largest EV builder – also a battery maker – had on display its Han L and Tang L vehicles that are supported by its Super e-Platform, which offers peak charging power of 1,000 kilowatts (kW) or 1 megawatt (MW). The Shenzhen-based company started deliveries of the two models last month. Battery swapping has the potential to save a car buyer as much as 40 per cent of the cost of owning a new EV – amounting to 40,000 to 50,000 yuan (US$6,876) – because they can rent batteries from the carmakers or other firms.
