Changan Automobile and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) have formed a partnership to develop battery swap-enabled electric vehicles (EVs) targeted at the ride-hailing industry. On November 22, the two companies, along with CATL’s subsidiary Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES), held a signing ceremony in Chongqing to formalize their collaboration on the battery swap project.
At the event, Changan unveiled the Oshan 520, an electric sedan from its sub-brand Oshan, built on CATL’s Choco-SEB (Swapping Electric Block) battery swap solution. The Oshan 520 aims to enhance the shared mobility market by allowing operators to swap batteries in less than two minutes, providing access to a fully charged battery with a range of 500 kilometers.
Changan highlighted that utilizing CATL’s battery swap technology can save users more than two hours of charging time daily. The battery swap feature is also expected to reduce the initial purchase cost of the vehicle by 35 percent and decrease insurance costs by over 10 percent. Over a six-year period, these savings could amount to the cost of purchasing a new car.
The integration of CATL’s Choco-SEB battery swap stations is set to significantly improve the operational efficiency of EVs, offering strong support for fleet operators aiming to expand their services. During the event, Changan also signed intention agreements with taxi business partners, although specific order numbers were not disclosed.
CATL launched its battery swap brand EVOGO on January 18, 2022, introducing the Choco-SEB battery concept that allows vehicles to utilize one or more battery blocks to meet varying range requirements. The first vehicle to support EVOGO’s battery swap service was the NAT (Next Automatic Taxi) from Bestune, a brand under China FAW, targeting the shared mobility sector.
This move signals CATL’s continued efforts to promote its battery swap system, primarily focusing on commercial vehicles and shared mobility markets. On November 19, SAIC-GM-Wuling partnered with CATL to adopt the Choco-SEB battery swap solution for the logistics vehicle segment.
Previously, Changan and electric vehicle maker Nio entered a partnership on battery swap technology in November 2023. However, the development of the Oshan 520 under CATL’s battery swap system indicates that it is not part of Nio’s battery swap alliance.
Source: CnEV
