Nio Collaborates on Draft Standard for Electric Car Battery Swapping Systems in Germany

Credit: Nio

Nio has announced its involvement in developing a draft standard for electric car battery swapping systems in collaboration with other industry players within the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies in DIN and VDE (DKE). This initiative aims to promote the reliability, interoperability, and safety of battery swap technology in the German market for electric vehicles.

Nio, which is currently the only company offering commercialized battery swapping for electric cars in Germany, has been working on integrating the international industry standard IEC 62840 into the German standards. Battery swapping is already widely used for lighter electric vehicles in Europe, while it is particularly popular in China, and is gaining momentum in India and Southeast Asia.

See also: Nio Achieves 60 Million Battery Swap Services Milestone, Expands Global Reach

Credit: NIO

“As a pioneer in electromobility, we see it as our responsibility not only to develop innovative technologies but also to play an active role in shaping industry-wide standards,” said Kajsa Ivansson Sognefur, Head of Power Europe at Nio. The company considers the establishment of a DIN standard for battery swapping systems a crucial step towards making electromobility faster, more flexible, and more sustainable.

Although permanent batteries still dominate the electric car market, a recent Ipsos survey commissioned by TÜV found that 63% of Germans consider battery swapping to be better suited than fixed batteries for saving time and extending battery life. According to Nio, battery swapping systems offer significant advantages, such as resource efficiency and ease of battery upgrades, reuse, and recycling.

See also: Nio Introduces Fourth-Generation Battery Swap Stations with 22% Faster Swapping

Credit: NIO

The biggest challenge to the development of battery swapping systems has been the lack of standardized technology across manufacturers. Nio argues that uniform standards would reduce the costs of establishing a nationwide infrastructure. The new DIN EN IEC 62840 series of standards, which will soon be published, will form the foundation for creating such standardized systems, facilitating the development of interchangeable battery models across manufacturers.

The draft standard, which was submitted for consultation in January 2025, covers essential aspects such as battery exchange, storage, charging, and cooling, along with testing, maintenance, and safety management. It also outlines communication protocols for battery swap stations and systems. Nio, which already operates over 3,000 battery exchange stations in China and 59 in Europe, expects the standardization to further drive the adoption of battery swapping technology in Europe.

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