Battery swap, Germany focuses on “on the fly” battery change of heavy vehicles
Battery swap
The solution of rapid battery replacement for new electric vehicles seems to be increasingly topical, a topic particularly close to the heart of the Chinese NIO, which has decided to revolutionize the charging system for electric cars by creating automated battery change stations. It is the turn of the University of Berlin which is engaging in a detailed replacement of batteries implemented on heavy vehicles. A consortium led by researchers from the Technical University of Berlin has in fact launched a 6.5 million euro project to build an automated battery changing station for electric heavy commercial vehicles. The project, called eHaul, was financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, with a further financial contribution provided by the partner organizations.A project that inevitably arises with the aim of encouraging use of electric vehicles even over long distances. Not surprisingly, electric-powered trucks are used for journeys over distances that cannot be covered by a single battery charge, and of course, transport companies cannot afford to waste hours waiting for a battery to recharge. A concept underlined several times by Professor Stefanie Marker, head of the naturalistic observation chair of the guide for energy optimization and accident prevention at the Technical University of Berlin and, not surprisingly, the eHaul project is a study that is carried out forward precisely on that vision.
In this perspective, the same consortium of companies led by the University of Berlin is commissioning two electrified trucks which will subsequently be used by two logistics companies. However, a battery exchange station is currently under development south of the city of Berlin and intended for use by hauliers. Therefore, the goal is to provide a fully automated battery replacement that can drastically reduce the time required so far for a charge. In fact, the project foresees that once arrived at the station, the exhausted battery is removed from the vehicle by a special robot and replaced with a fully charged battery.
Both vehicles are equipped with a series of sensors to record data influencing energy consumption during normal operations: engine energy consumption, load, weather conditions, route elevation profile, secondary energy consumption such as air conditioning in the driver's cab, as well as the energy needed to maintain the right temperature. In the testing phase, we therefore want to determine whether 40-ton electric trucks with interchangeable batteries are actually a viable alternative, even when daily journeys of over 300 kilometers are involved.
Nio Signs Pact With Infrastructure Firm For Battery-Swap Stations In Beijing: What You Need To Know
NIO Limited (NASDAQ: NIO) has signed an agreement with a government infrastructure firm to build battery-swap stations, according to CnEVPost.
What Happened: Nio Power Beijing, a subsidiary of Nio, signed a five-year agreement with state-owned Beijing Shoufa Industrial and Trading Co to put battery-swap stations along the Beijing Capital Ring Expressway, the report said.
The companies are working to promote the use of new energy vehicles and improve the experience of high-speed travel for Beijing residents.
Related Link: Is The Nio Sell-Off Overdone?
Why It's Important: Nio has emphasized its battery swapping technology lately. At its Nio Day event in early January, the company launched the Power Swap Station 2.0, which will increase capacity to 312 swaps per day.
The new swap station is designed so that users can start a self-service swap with one tap on the center display without getting out of the vehicle.
The company aims to have 500 stations in operation nationwide by the end of this year.
See also: How to Buy Nio Stock
It is also speculated that Nio and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited (NYSE: SHI) are in exploratory talks to set up battery swap stations at Sinopec's gas filling stations. An announcement in this regard could come as early as mid-April, reports suggested.
Nio has also pioneered the concept of battery-as-a-service that would allow users to rent a battery instead of purchasing one, helping to trim the cost for EV owners.
Related Link: Nio Analyst Sees Meaningful Tailwinds For EV Brand's Sales Volume
Photo of Beijing's 2nd Ring Road courtesy Gary Anglebrandt.
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