+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeNewslettersNextShare

Battery swapping could finally make charging faster than filling up with gas — see how it works

  • Many drivers say long electric vehicle charge time is a barrier to them adopting the cars.
  • Startup Ample says battery swapping could be faster than filling your car up with gas.

Battery swapping — taking an electric vehicle battery out of the car once it's out of charge, and replacing it with a fully charged battery — isn't a brand new concept, and has had a challenging journey over the past several years. But the idea of getting your electric car a full "charge" in just a matter of minutes has gotten swapping some more recent momentum.

Charging an electric car can take a while, depending on the type of charger a driver uses. In your own garage with a standard plug, or maybe at your office, it might take 8 hours. At faster plugs out in public, you might be waiting at least 20 minutes with a Level 3 charger, or maybe an hour or two with a Level 2.

Regardless, it's no question that charging currently takes a little bit longer than fueling up a gas-powered car at a gas station.

That's where battery swapping could come into play, and startup Ample is eager to get automakers on board with the idea. It'd essentially mean a driver buys an electric vehicle but subscribes to the battery, Ample CEO Khaled Hassounah told Insider.

The upfront cost of a new EV (relatively high, on average) could be brought down if a buyer only has to pay for the vehicle itself, and not the pricey battery.

Advertisement

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!