EV battery swapping: The what, why and how

Battery swapping promises to jumpstart the Electric Vehicle (EV) market by alleviating range anxiety and reducing the cost of ownership. There is a growing battery swapping market from start-ups and big players from the USA as well. Here's everything you need to know about EV battery swapping.

- Arun Bhardwaj

What is EV battery swapping?

EV battery swapping is a service that allows EV owners to quickly replace their depleted batteries with fully charged ones at specialised swapping stations. This technology aims to address some of the limitations of traditional EV charging, such as long charging times and limited charging infrastructure. While there are faster charger options available, it takes three to four hours to fully charge the two-wheeler and three-wheelers. With this option, customers have the option of buying an EV without a battery, they can opt for a swap subscription and load the battery into the vehicle.

Process of EV battery swapping

Here’s the process for Battery Swapping:

• Arrival at swapping station: An EV owner drives their electric vehicle to a battery swapping station, which is equipped with automated machinery and technology to perform the battery replacement.

• Battery identification and removal: The swapping system identifies the vehicle and the type of battery it requires. This could involve scanning QR codes, RFID tags or other identification methods. The system’s machinery automatically removes the depleted battery pack from the vehicle. This process is typically automated to ensure efficiency and safety.

• Battery replacement: A fully charged battery pack that is compatible with the vehicle is brought into position by the machinery. The depleted battery is replaced with the charged.