China's CATL pushes 2-minute EV battery swaps as alternative to charging

Company teams with Sinopec, Nio to build nationwide network of 10,000 stations

20250515N CATL EV battery exchange

 CATL's battery swapping stations can cut waiting times to just two minutes per vehicle. (Photo by Shizuka Tanabe)

SHIZUKA TANABE

GUANGZHOU -- China's top auto battery maker, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), plans to build thousands of stations that can replace an electric-vehicle battery with a fresh one in about as much time as it takes to fill a tank of gasoline.

The swapping stations are box-shaped facilities that resemble car washes. Drivers park in a designated spot, and their car is lifted off the ground. An automated cart slides under the vehicle, removes the depleted battery and inserts a fully charged one.

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