The history of electric vehicles (EVs) is practically as old as the automobile itself: the first example, the Flocken Elektrowagen, was produced in 1888, just two years after the Benz Patent Motor Car. John de Souza, Co-founder and President of Ample, highlights that battery swapping shares a similarly enduring relationship with the industry.
“In 1943, for example, Spain had fleets of entirely electric taxis, but it was determined that charging them would take too long. Instead, when a battery was depleted, operators decided to replace it with a fully charged unit, and could do so in around five minutes,” he tells Automotive World. However, as gasoline became cheaper, both EVs and battery swapping were relegated to niche curiosities instead of key mobility solutions.
With global carbon reduction goals now turning the tide back in favour of electrification, de Souza believes the return of battery swapping could substantially boost EV adoption. Doing so, however, will require new solutions to some old problems.
