U Power Expands UOTTA Battery Swap Solution to Europe and South America with New Partnerships

Credit: UOTTA

Chinese company U Power is expanding its UOTTA battery swap solution into Europe and South America, beginning with markets in Portugal and Peru. The company has entered into partnerships within the taxi sector, where its compact battery exchange stations will provide a space-efficient alternative to traditional charging infrastructure.

For its European expansion, U Power will deliver a new eight-slot, compact battery exchange station to the Portuguese taxi association ANTRAL in the first half of 2025. The station, with a footprint of just 90 square meters, is designed for dense urban areas and aims to handle 30 to 50 battery swaps per day. The modular nature of the station allows for future capacity expansion.

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

Li Jia, Chairman and CEO of U Power, emphasized the economic advantages of battery swapping over fast-charging stations. “When evaluating total investment costs – including land use, grid upgrades, and equipment – swapping stations require lower capital investment while serving the same number of taxis and mileage,” Jia said. This solution is especially suited for European cities, where space limitations make large charging stations impractical.

In addition to its expansion into Portugal, U Power is also bringing its UOTTA system to Peru in collaboration with moto-taxi operator Treep Mobility. After successfully completing a pilot project that included two operational battery-swapping stations and a fleet of electric two- and three-wheelers, Treep Mobility plans to convert its fleet of petrol-powered vehicles to the UOTTA system. The expected total order volume for this conversion is over USD 1 million. “The Moto Taxi market represents an enormous opportunity in Peru and South America,” Jia said, noting that over 100,000 moto-taxis are registered in Peru alone, with over 300,000 new electric two- and three-wheelers added annually in the region.

See also: Ample Secures $25 Million to Scale EV Battery Swapping Technology for Fleets

U Power’s approach is in line with the growing global interest in battery swapping technology, with companies such as Nio and CATL also developing battery swap networks. Nio currently operates over 3,000 fully automated stations in China and has expanded to 59 locations in Europe, including 19 in Germany. U Power’s entry into Europe and South America marks an important step in the global adoption of battery swapping as an efficient alternative to traditional charging methods.

 

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