Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio is ramping up production of its third generation Power Swap Station (PSS), with mass production expected to be achieved in May. The company is bringing the first 10 stations online on March 28, a month earlier than planned.
The latest PSS can store 21 batteries, a significant improvement from the previous model which could only store 13 batteries. The first generation PSS, meanwhile, could only hold five batteries at once.
While the PSS can store 21 batteries, it can service 408 vehicles in a 24-hour period. This translates to 17 electric cars charged every hour, or one EV every 3.5 minutes. Although this is a theoretical capacity, assuming an even distribution of arriving vehicles, the actual number will still be impressive.
Nio’s PSS now comes equipped with two LiDAR sensors and Nvidia Orin processors. Combined with the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) on Nio vehicles, this ensures perfect alignment during the battery swap procedure.
See also: NIO presents Power Swap 3.0 Station that can store 21 battery packs
Nio plans to add 1,000 more PSS stations to its network this year, with at least 2,300 PSS stations expected to be in operation in China by the end of 2023. The company is ramping up production of the third generation PSS, with a volume of 120 to 150 units per month expected to be achieved by June.
Nio owners can vote on where they would like the new stations installed. The company claims to have received over 132,000 votes for PSS locations, with over 68% of owners voting for urban areas and just over 31% preferring locations along highways.
Compared to direct current (DC) fast charging, the PSS delivers much faster service. An average DC charger takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to charge an EV up to 80%, and even at its fastest, it can service only three vehicles in one hour. To match the performance of just one PSS, we would need 136 DC chargers. Even if the PSS delivers only half of its theoretical performance, we’d still need 68 DC chargers to match it.
With the third generation PSS, Nio is providing a compelling alternative to DC fast charging. As the company continues to expand its PSS network, it will be interesting to see whether more EV drivers will choose battery swapping over charging.
