NIO’s first battery swap station for electric cars in Germany has been officially deployed, ahead of the market launch of the NIO ET7 model later this year. The station is located in Zusmarshausen, on the A8 highway between Munich and Stuttgart.
Related: NIO to Launch ET7 Electric Sedan in Germany
Together with two battery swapping stations already installed in Norway NIO now has three such facilities in Europe. By the end of 2025, the company says it will install over 4,000 such stations, including 1,000 or so outside China. Bear in mind NIO has so far established more than 1,000 battery swapping stations in China.
Congratulations to the entire NIO Power Team in Germany for launching the first #PowerSwapStation in @Zusmarshausen. This first Station will be able to make 312 battery swaps per day at Germany’s largest and most modern charging park. #BlueSkyComing #NIO #NIODeutscheland $NIO pic.twitter.com/Hq0dcu3WOh
— NIO 蔚来 (@NIOGlobaI) September 28, 2022
As the battery technology improves, the company probably will simply update the battery capacity through the use of new modules, maintaining the pack’s compatibility.
Related: NIO Eying to Enter Pakistan
The NIO’s second-generation Power Swap Station 2.0, introduced in April 2021, is quite capable with the potential to be used once every several minutes. The 2.0 system has a total of 14 battery slots – 13 battery packs (vs 5 in the 1.0 version) and an empty slot to pick up a discharged battery (or old/previous generation battery when upgrading).
According to NIO, they are capable of completing up to 312 battery swaps per day (24 hours), which would mean 4.6 minutes or close to 277 seconds per swap (including the automated parking). To see how battery swaps work, watch the video at the end of this post.
Related: Battery Swapping will Make EVs Even More Attractive to Buyers
While battery swap stations are a special feature of NIO cars, it is worth mentioning that the company has installed also over 1,000 fast charging stations with more than 5,360 individual stalls and over 870 destination charging stations (AC, normal charging speed) with roughly 5,470 individual stalls.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
