CATL, the world’s largest maker of electric vehicle batteries, plans to bring its battery-swapping and recycling technology to Europe, amid a global battle to secure more sustainable EV supply chains.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Jiang Li, the Chinese group’s board secretary, said battery swapping — in which EV drivers exchange depleted cells for fully charged ones — had “huge potential” in Europe to make batteries cheaper and longer-lasting.
Battery swapping, technology pioneered by Chinese electric-car maker Nio, takes minutes and lowers the upfront cost of buying an electric car, as drivers do not own their own batteries — the most expensive components of an EV. It also enables the cells to be used for longer.