The world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicle batteries, China-based CATL is preparing to introduce its battery exchange and recycling technologies to the European market. The company aims to expand this service model, which it launched in China, on an international scale in line with its talks with European automobile manufacturers.
CATL will bring its battery exchange service to Europe
CATL’s board secretary Jiang Li stated in an interview that the battery exchange system has serious potential for Europe. According to Li, this technology not only reduces battery costs, but also extends the life of batteries.
The company has accelerated its investments in China. It is planned to reach 1,000 battery exchange stations by the end of 2025, and to increase this number to 10,000 within three years. Jiang Li announced that the system will be transferred to Europe after these goals in China are achieved. It was also shared that contacts are currently ongoing with European automobile manufacturers for this transition.
Pioneer companies such as Nio are currently in a strong position in the sector in the field of battery exchange technology. Nio has 3,376 battery change stations in China and 60 in Europe. The company’s “Battery as a Service” (BaaS) model allows users to purchase the vehicle and rent the battery. This system reduces the initial investment cost of vehicle owners, while eliminating charging times with rapid battery change.
CATL entered these technologies in January 2022. In the new strategy announcement published in December 2024, it was revealed that the company is following a more aggressive growth plan in the battery change area. In particular, the issue of standardization forms the basis of CATL’s future growth model. In this context, two new battery packs called Choco-SEB #20 and #25 were designed with a common platform approach to ensure interchangeability between different brands.
CATL’s growth strategy for the battery change system is not limited to its own investments. The company is also conducting a strategic partnership with Nio in this area. The new generation models developed by Nio’s sub-brand Firefly are based on CATL’s Choco-Swap technology. The two companies are also working together to set national standards for battery exchange technologies in China.
CATL’s European expansion is not only a commercial expansion, but also a claim to create a structural transformation in the understanding of energy management and sustainability in the sector. Many topics such as regulations, infrastructure investments and manufacturer collaborations in the European market are expected to be decisive in shaping this process in the coming period.
