Chinese EV battery giant CATL(宁德时代) rolled out its innovative modular battery swap solution brand EVOGO in an online event on January 18, which includes battery blocks, fast battery swap stations, and an app.

Credit: CATL

EVOGO is operated by CATL's subsidiary CAES(时代电服). Its general manager Chen Weifeng, said the battery swap solution features high compatibility with vehicle models, need-based battery rental, and complementarity with fast charging and household charging. It will be first launched in ten cities first.  

To solve the problems of EV range anxiety, inconvenience of charging, and high total cost of the EV battery, CAES rolled out its innovative modular battery swap solution on Tuesday's online launch event. Based on the separation of vehicle and battery, CAES considers the battery as a shared product, creating a whole new experience for the market.

Designed to look like a bar of chocolate, “Choco-SEB (swapping electric block)” is a mass-produced battery specially developed for EV battery-sharing. It boasts the advantages of high-energy-density with small size, flexible combination, and minimalist design, according to CATL.

With the support of the latest CTP (cell to pack) technology, it can achieve a weight energy density of over 160 Wh/kg and a volume energy density of 325 Wh/L, enabling a single block to provide a driving range of 200 km.

Meanwhile, the Choco-SEB is compatible with 80 percent of global BEV platform-based vehicle models available on the market, and all BEV platform-based models are to be released in the next three years globally. Customers are free to take one to three blocks to meet different range requirements at swap stations.

Furthermore, equipped with wireless BMS technology, the trailblazing Choco-SEB does not have any parts on its exterior except the high-voltage positive and negative terminals, which significantly increases the reliability of plugs, CATL indicated.

With a footprint equivalent to three parking spaces, a standard EVOGO battery swap station can house up to 48 Choco-SEBs and allows one-minute swapping for a single battery block, ensuring fully charged batteries for customers at any time without a long wait. Moreover, EVOGO offers a variety of swap stations to suit the climates of different regions.  

The app links customers with different modules of EVOGO, allowing the connection among customers, vehicles, stations, and batteries, and provides other services as well.

Unlike conventional battery swap solutions, EVOGO has achieved two innovative modes of compatibility. Choco-SEB is designed to suit vehicles ranging from Class-A00, Class-B, and Class-C passenger cars to logistics vehicles. At the same time, the swap stations can match all vehicle models by different OEMs that use Choco-SEBs, allowing a free choice of vehicle models for battery swaps.

In fact, most car owners tend to purchase EVs of higher power capacity in order to alleviate range anxiety, although only 10 to 20 percent of the total capacity is usually needed for daily use. They have paid a high sunk cost for a power capacity that is rarely needed.

To address the pain point, EVOGO allows customers to choose the number of battery blocks to rent according to their driving scenarios and habits. Only one block is needed for city commuting, while for longer trips, customers can rent two to three blocks and swap them with one block after returning to the city.

Vehicles carrying Choco-SEBs supports both charging and battery swapping for power refueling. Together with the existing household charging and fast charging, EVOGO helps provide an all-scenario power refueling solution.

CAES also unveiled the first member of the EVOGO family, the modular battery swap version of Bestune NAT at the event, and more vehicle models that can enjoy EVOGO's service will be launched in the future, according to the official website of CATL.