SAIC-GM-Wuling adopts CATL’s battery swap solution for commercial vehicles

2 min to read

Nov 19, 2024 10:06 AM CET

Denis Bobylev

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SAIC-GM-Wuling partners with CATL to adopt the battery swap solution for commercial vehicles. They will adopt Choco-SEB standardized swappable batteries. CATL’s battery swap infrastructure is called Evogo. This cooperation will help CATL to promote the slow development of its battery swap infrastructure.

On November 18, the SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) joint venture announced cooperation with CATL to use battery swap technology in the logistics vehicle segment. Two companies plan to create cheaper Wuling-branded logistics vehicles. This strategy aims to improve the operational efficiency and return on investment of the cars.

It seems that three Wuling models will adopt the CATL’s swappable tech: Starlight sedan, Bingo hatchback, and Zhiguan key car.

CATL officially disclosed that SGMW vehicles will adopt Choco-SEB batteries. They were launched in 2022, together with the Evogo battery swap infrastructure. FAW Group became the first CATL’s battery swap partner with the Bestune NAT electric minivan. This year, CATL partnered with BAIC. However, the Evogo battery swap network develops slowly.

More about CATL’s Evogo battery swap stations

In April 2022, CATL launched its first battery swap station under the Evogo brand in Xiamen. Its battery swap stations adopt scalable Choco-SEB batteries. They adopt the cell-to-pack technology with an energy density of 160 Wh/kg. A single Choco-SEB block has a capacity of 26.5 kWh, suitable for a range of 200 km. The Evogo-compatible EVs can have up to three of those Choco-SEB blocks on board with a total capacity of 79.5 kWh.

The Evogo station can replace the battery in a minute. It stores up to 48 batteries inside. Users can control the battery swap process via phone. The battery swap technology is compatible with a wide range of cars: from small city cars to compact crossovers.

However, the Evogo network is developing slowly in China. The exact number of CATL’s stations is currently below 300 units. The exact number is unknown. However, CATL aims to install over 500 battery swap stations by 2025 and over 3,000 by 2027. The company’s long-term goal is to install 10,000 battery swap stations. It seems that cooperation with SGMW will become the driver of this project.