Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with mobility services provider Car Inc to roll out battery swap technology in the car rental industry.
The agreement, also involving CATL subsidiary Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology (CAES) and CMB Leasing, was signed at CATL’s headquarters in Ningde, Fujian province. The companies will launch a pilot programme this year before scaling to more than 100,000 vehicles equipped with CATL’s Choco-SEB swap-compatible batteries, targeting first-tier and new first-tier cities in China.
Vehicles will use CATL’s standardized #20 and #25 battery blocks, offering a driving range of 400–600 km. Car Inc will purchase the models in bulk, while CAES will operate a battery health monitoring platform to track safety and performance in real time.
The rollout will leverage Car Inc’s more than 2,000 outlets and parking facilities to build a swap network covering key transport hubs. CATL said the stations will use photovoltaic power where possible and support grid peak shaving and frequency regulation.
Car Inc’s mobile app will integrate navigation and payment for swap stations, while CMB Leasing and CAES will provide competitive battery rental packages for the company’s fleet to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.
CATL launched its Choco-SEB #20 and #25 battery packs for passenger vehicles in December 2024, with the aim of making battery swapping, home charging, and public charging each account for about one-third of electric vehicle energy supply by 2030.