China’s EV battery king CATL joins with Sinopec to build swapping-station network

In addition, the company said Hong Kong and Macau would soon see their first swap stations, which allow owners of compatible EVs to exchange a spent battery pack for a fully charged one in just 100 seconds.

CATL and Sinopec committed to an “extensive and long-term strategic partnership” to build a “battery-swapping ecosystem across the whole nation”, according to the agreement signed early this month. CATL said it aimed to build 30,000 swapping stations, without giving a specific timetable.

“CATL’s efforts to promote battery swapping nationwide, particularly with Sinopec as a partner, will convince more EV makers and drivers of the advantage of using this technology because it is faster and more efficient,” said Davis Zhang, a senior executive at Suzhou Hazardtex, a supplier of specialised batteries. “As more stations are built, an increasing number of new models will adopt swappable batteries to attract car buyers.”