- CATL has already talked with carmakers about using battery swap technology in Europe, said its board secretary Jiang Li.
- Battery swap technology holds huge potential in Europe, as it can reduce battery costs and extend battery lifespan, Jiang noted.
CATL (SHE: 300750) plans to bring its battery swap and recycling technology to Europe amid a global battle to secure more sustainable electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, the Financial Times said in a report today.
CATL's board secretary Jiang Li told the Financial Times in an interview that battery swap has "huge potential" in Europe, as it can reduce battery costs and extend battery lifespan.
The battery giant aims to build 1,000 battery swap stations in China by the end of this year and 10,000 within three years, the report noted.
"Then we can copy the business model in Europe and other regions," Li said at an event in London, adding that CATL has already discussed the use of battery swap technology in Europe with automakers.
Chinese EV maker Nio (NYSE: NIO) is one of the earliest and most prominent players in the battery swap sector, currently operating 3,376 battery swap stations in China and 60 in Europe, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
The technology allows vehicles to quickly swap depleted batteries for fully charged ones, and Nio also offers a BaaS (battery as a service) purchasing option, enabling customers to buy the vehicle body and rent the battery pack, thereby lowering the purchasing barrier.
Nio vehicles that support battery swapping can also use fast charging to get power for the batteries, just like other conventional EV models.
CATL entered the battery swap sector in January 2022 and announced ambitious plans on December 18, 2024, aimed at standardizing swappable batteries.
CATL unveiled two standardized Choco-SEB passenger vehicle battery packs in December last year, naming them #20 and #25, similar to how gasoline grades in the Chinese mainland are labeled as #92, #95, and #98.
The company said at the time that its battery swap stations would reach 1,000 by the end of 2025, with a medium-term plan to build 10,000 stations and a long-term goal of 30,000 stations.
Notably, CATL has partnered with Nio on battery swap.
On March 18, Nio announced a collaboration with CATL to create the world's largest battery swap service network, with its sub-brand Firefly's newly developed models set to adopt CATL's Choco-Swap technical standards.
The two parties will jointly promote the formulation and adoption of national standards for battery swap technology in China, further enhancing battery compatibility across different brands and models, according to a statement.