What are the battery swapping modes for new energy vehicles?
2 Answers
There are primarily two modes for new energy vehicle battery swapping: one is charging via charging piles, and the other is direct battery replacement. Finding charging piles: You can search through the APP, mini-program, or official website of the purchased new energy vehicle brand, or via the vehicle's touchscreen. Alternatively, use map software to search for the keyword "charging station" or click the "charging station" function button on the travel page. Battery replacement: Open the two fixed buttons of the thermal insulation cotton to expose the red and black insulation covers on the positive and negative terminals. Flip open the insulation covers to see the locking nuts. Disconnect the negative terminal, use a wrench or hex socket to loosen the fastening nuts on the negative terminal, then gently pry open the fastening block with a flathead screwdriver and pull out the negative terminal. Disconnect the positive terminal using the same method. Remove the locking strap, unscrew the nuts securing the battery's locking strap, loosen the strap, and take out the battery.
Last time I went for a test drive of a new energy vehicle, the salesperson explained the battery swap mode in detail. The mainstream approach is the undercarriage integrated battery swap, like NIO's system, where the car drives into the swap station and the battery is fully automatically replaced in three minutes. The split-battery swap is also quite interesting, dividing the large battery into several smaller modules for individual replacement, which is suitable for taxis that require frequent energy replenishment. Lateral battery swap is commonly seen in buses, where the battery is replaced directly from the side of the vehicle. There's also the top-mounted hoisting type, often used for heavy-duty trucks, where a crane arm is used to load and unload the battery from the roof. Recently, the newly introduced modular battery swap is even more flexible, allowing the selection of battery packs with different capacities based on the trip. Each of these modes has its advantages, and the key lies in how automakers design the battery compartment structure.
