GAC Group's new energy vehicle (NEV) division – GAC Aion – has unveiled its first-ever battery swapping station for its electric cars in Guangzhou, China. The company claims that the station supports both battery swap and supercharging capabilities, making it the first system in the country to automate EV energy replenishment.
The swap station can replace an e-car's battery in just 2.5 minutes, thanks to bolt-on battery structures, which according to GAC Aion, can support a replacement life of up to 8,000 cycles.
In addition to battery swaps, the stations also offer automatic supercharging facilities to its customers. The station features A480 supercharging piles, offering peak voltages up to 1000V and peak currents up to 600A.
For EVs that support 6C supercharging, the charging station can support a theoretical peak power of 480 kW, according to the company. The 'Robot Charger' automatic charging system exploits high-tech features such as flexible motion control, visual dual positioning and senseless start to enable all-in-one solution for automatic charging and battery replacement, it added.
It is reported that the EV maker is planning to build 220 such stations in its headquartered city Guangzhou this year, and 1,000 more stations by 2025. The model will also be replicated in other cities and overseas, according to reports.
It is to be noted that GAC Aion has joined the likes of companies like NIO and CATL in establishing battery swap infrastructure in the Chinese market. The automaker has already pledged that battery swap-enabled variants of electric cars based on the new 'GEP 3.0' platform would enter the domestic market in 2023.
Read More