Author: Cláudio AfonsoAuthor: Cláudio Afonso Headline: Nio to Launch Driver-Free Autonomous Battery Swapping Later This Year Key Points: * Nio, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker, plans to introduce driver-free autonomous battery swapping in China later this year. * The new feature will target highway service areas, allowing vehicles to queue for battery swapping without the driver needing to stay in the vehicle. * This technology uses the vehicle’s intelligence and V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) equipment at the swap stations. * By participating in peak and off-peak charging and battery swapping regulation, significant cost savings can be achieved. * Nio is also expanding to France, Italy, and Spain. * The company reported a year-over-year growth of 98.10% in vehicle deliveries in June.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) wraps up today in Shanghai, with the electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio announcing updates on the battery swapping technology.
During a keynote titled “Intelligent Support for the Integration of Transportation and Vehicle-Grid Interaction,” Nio’s Senior Vice-President, Dr. Shen Fei, announced that the brand will launch driver-free autonomous battery swapping in China later this year.
The new feature will primarily target highway service areas, allowing vehicles to autonomously queue for battery swapping without the driver needing to stay in the car.
Nio‘s Senior Vice-President shared that the new technology has completed extensive testing and is expected to be available at select stations later this year, as initially reported by Sina Finance.
Credit: Sina Finance
This development uses the vehicle’s intelligence and V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) equipment at the swap stations. As of today, the company operates 2,443 battery swap stations across China, including 809 on highways.
Map of Nio’s Battery Swap Stations in China (Credit: Nio)
During the keynote, the executive noted that by participating in peak and off-peak charging and battery swapping regulation, significant cost savings can be achieved.
An example, Dr. Shen mentioned that the station in Denmark generates revenue through grid regulation and trading, covering 25 percent to 33 percent of the station’s operational costs.
Nio‘s Head of the Southern European region, Nicola Marsala, hinted in an interview that the company will be expanding to France, Italy and Spain despite the provisional tariffs on China-made EVs.
In an interview to Fleet Magazine, Marsala said Nio will “naturally” expand to more markets in the old continent and the two sub-brands — Onvo and Firefly — are included in the go-to-market plan.
On his LinkedIn profile, the executive says one of his responsibilities is “to establish operations in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece & Balkans” adding that it includes “all Nio Group Brands”.
On Friday, the company announced that its Chief Financial Officer Steven Wei Feng has resigned after five years in the company due to “personal and family reasons”.
As the resignation has immediate effect, Nio‘s board has promoted its Senior Vice President of Finance, Stanley Yu Qu, to become the new Chief Financial Officer.
Earlier in the week, the company reported the delivery of 21,209 vehicles in June, surpassing its estimates of between 17,800 and 19,8000 vehicles.
The result represents a year-over-year growth of 98.10 percent and brings the quarterly deliveries to 57,373 units, a growth of 143.90 percent. As of the time of writing, Nio US-listed stock is trading 4.33 percent higher at $4.33 per share following the news.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
