Author: Zai Er

On April 27th, it was announced by official sources from CATL and Aiways that the two parties had signed a cooperation framework agreement on the EVOGO battery swapping project, in order to jointly expand the electric vehicle (EV) and battery separation business. According to the cooperation agreement, the two parties will use Aiways’ first car model, the U5, as a carrier to jointly develop a combination of battery swapping vehicles, and plan to introduce them to the market in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Zhang Yang, CEO of Aiways, stated that Aiways will achieve strong cooperation with CATL in technology, resources, services and other aspects, achieving the optimal allocation of resources.

Chen Weifeng, General Manager of Times EV, the operating company of EVOGO, expressed his expectation for the cooperation between the two parties, saying “We will rapidly promote the construction of battery swapping networks, jointly expand the battery swapping service market, and allow consumers to enjoy new and convenient travel freely.”

It is understood that, under this cooperation model, Aiways car owners who choose the combination battery swapping version will have access to EVOGO’s battery swapping services, which allows for separation of the car’s battery and power systems, on-demand power supply and battery swapping. The project will be operated by Times EV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL.

On January 18th of this year, Times EV released the EVOGO battery swapping service brand and combination battery swapping overall solution. This scheme is composed of three main products: “battery swapping modules, fast-swapping stations, and an APP”. Unlike traditional battery swapping modes, EVOGO achieves full compatibility with the “one-battery-multiple-cars” scenario.

The “Chocolate Battery Swapping Module” is a battery specifically developed for shared battery swapping, which has the characteristics of being small yet high energy, freely combinable, and with an ultra minimalist design. It uses CATL’s latest CTP technology, which can adapt to 80% of existing and upcoming pure electric platforms for global markets over the next three years, enabling users to flexibly match different ranges by selecting one or more battery modules.

Currently, new energy vehicles have entered a new stage of explosive growth, but range anxiety, remedial charging, and purchase costs have always plagued new energy vehicle consumers. CATL has seized the opportunity to launch EVOGO battery swapping services, which will greatly alleviate user anxiety and manufacturer concerns, further promoting the development of the new energy vehicle market.

Regarding the selection of CATL’s EVOGO battery swapping service, an informed source from Aiways said to “Electric Force” reporters: “The rising costs of raw materials and the subsidy reductions make the pure electric vehicle market environment more complex, and competition among complete vehicles will become increasingly fierce.”

Previously, like most other new forces, Aiways had always pursued the pure electric route. Joining the battery swapping camp this time also means that Aiways’ product strategy has changed.In fact, after the ideal range extender market took off, new forces such as Sky Auto, NIO, and LeapMotor have also adjusted their product strategies and actively laid out the range extender power market. Currently, the Sky Auto ME5 range extender version has been launched, and the number of insured vehicles in March has exceeded 1,000, gradually showing good performance.

The new energy industry is changing rapidly. If one wants to keep up, it is necessary for all new energy brands to adjust their tactics in a timely manner and respond quickly.

Actually, Aiways is not the first cooperation partner of EVOGO battery swap service. During the online debut event held by State Grid Electric Vehicle Service on January 18th, the 001st member of the EVOGO “Small Green Ring Family” was revealed – the FAW Bestune NAT combination battery swapping version. State Grid Electric Vehicle Service also revealed that EVOGO will choose the first ten cities to launch battery swap services and release more brands of battery swap models in the future.

In the eyes of E-Drive reporters, this cooperation between Aiways and CATL on battery swap is a significant move to address the pain points of new energy vehicles, and it also meets the strategic development needs of both parties. In the mode of separating the car and the battery, making the battery an independent shared asset will greatly alleviate users’ anxiety about range and power replenishment, and at the same time, the purchase cost of the car will also be correspondingly reduced.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.