How ‘battery swapping’ may transform the EV market

Despite the growth of the EV market – with Statista predicting unit sales to reach 17.07 million by 2028 – the industry still grapples with the challenge of establishing sufficient infrastructure, particularly charging points.

The concept of 'battery swapping' or 'battery switching' is a nascent technology that permits battery electric vehicles to swiftly replace a depleted battery pack with a fully charged one, offering an alternative to the traditional charging station method. Contechs has undertaken comprehensive benchmarking in this research area, leading to the creation of modular electrical architectures featuring intelligent 'skateboard' configurations that facilitate battery swapping.

Ian Trueman, Electrical and Electrification Director at Contechs, said: “This emerging technology is taking root in Europe after successful trials in China. The maximum cost for a 100kWh battery swap stands at €30 – or roughly half of what you would expect to pay at a conventional rapid charger.

“Battery swapping infrastructure is therefore proving to be not only faster for users but also cheaper than conventional charging in this early stage of deployment. There are still many issues that need to be resolved before it can be more widely considered, however, such as compatibility between OEMs and its current high infrastructure cost.”

Functioning as a strategic partner to the automotive industry, Contechs offers design and engineering services to global OEMs, spanning from concept to production, and plays a role in evolving EV technology and architecture for its OEM clients. Over the forthcoming five years, Contechs is committed to investing in research and development of battery cell technology and computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools. Furthermore, it plans to inaugurate a Systems Engineering Training Academy. This academy aims to educate graduates and traditional ICE engineers in both high and low voltage EV engineering.

Commencing in 2024, this initiative will tackle the skills gap within the industry and is acknowledged as a crucial support mechanism for the UK's 'Net Zero Pledge' target for 2035.