While electrification is rapidly spreading in the automotive sector, alternative solutions to major problems such as charging time and infrastructure continue to be developed. One of the most striking steps in this area came from Fiat. The company launched a pilot project in Madrid, the capital of Spain, that includes battery exchange technology in electric vehicles.
Fiat will design a new battery exchange technology
Fiat’s fully electric model 500e is being used within the scope of the project. The test fleet is equipped with a special system developed by Ample, which works on battery exchange technologies. This system allows the empty battery to be replaced with a full one in five minutes, without waiting for the traditional charging process.
The technology was previously used in a similar way by Chinese Nio, and battery manufacturer CATL has been working on standardizing this solution for different brands. In the pilot project implemented in Madrid, a fleet of 40 Fiat 500e vehicles is currently being actively tested in urban use.
This fleet is operated by Stellantis’ car sharing brand Free2Move. Although the technical details of the battery system used in the vehicles have not been disclosed, the replacement process appears to be short and operationally feasible.
There is currently only one battery replacement station in the project. However, action has been taken to expand this infrastructure. New stations are planned to be established with the 9.8 million euro incentive received from the Spanish government. At the same time, the test fleet is aimed to be increased to 100 vehicles.
The system is currently being tested only on the Fiat 500e model. This model is built on a unique infrastructure, unlike the common e-CMP electric platform used by other brands under the Stellantis umbrella. Therefore, it is currently unclear when and how the developed battery replacement system will be integrated into other vehicles within the group.
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