CATL officially launched its EVOGO battery swap service in China this week and opened four stations on Xiamen Island, Fujian province.
The company plans to open an additional 30 stations in the region by the end of the year.
Once the entire network is open, the company aims to always have drivers in Xiamen within a radius of 3 kilometers of an EVOGO station.
Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology LTD (CAES), a subsidy of CATL, is operating the EVOGO swap stations.
The swap stations are compatible with EVs with LFP battery modules called Choco-SEB. Each pack holds 26.5 kWh.
The only vehicle currently compatible with the Choco-SEBs is FAW Group’s Bestune NAT.
Pricing of the battery rental works out to RMB 399 or $77 CAD. According to CATL, the costing is similar to someone charging their vehicle using a DC fast-charger for a month.
CATL hopes to work with more automakers and release more EVOGO-compatible vehicle models in the near future. In addition, they are hoping to expand the network of battery swap stations in more Chinese cities.
