Ample unveils next-gen battery swap stations
US-based battery swap startup Ample has revealed its latest station design, marking the second generation of its technology. The new design enables Ample to halve the times it takes to swap a battery, and the company says, the new stations boast faster deployment times.
A quick recapture – Ample made its debut in 2021 after operating in stealth mode for seven years. Since then, the company has secured support from Shell Ventures and has deployed its technology primarily across the Bay Area. A most recent deal with Fisker also lifted the company into the OEM space and will likely see battery-swapping stations enter Europe and more US states.
As for the new design, however, Ample relied on closely collaborating with fleet partners such as Uber and Sally for extensive real-world testing to understand the needs of drivers and the impact of battery swapping on their business operations.
Given the obvious advantages of simply exchanging a depleted battery for a full one, Ample has reworked the design to make the process even quicker. The company claims it reduced the swap time from 10 minutes to just 5 minutes. A new drive-through is in place and passengers can now enter and exit the vehicle while the swap is in progress, facilitated by a platform that raises the car.
The new station design also incorporates modular battery swapping technology, enabling the support of both small passenger cars and large delivery trucks.
Moreover, Ample has significantly expedited the deployment process, reducing it to a mere three days. The company achieved this as it delivers pre-built sections of the station to the designated installation site, simplifying the assembly process. There is also no need for extensive digging during station deployment, says Ample. To cater to varying demand levels at different locations, stations can be easily stacked, allowing multiple vehicles to swap batteries simultaneously.
Ample has also looked into durability and resilience of its stations in different environments and climates and rigorously tested the new stations to withstand extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Furthermore, Ample has continued to innovate its shoebox-sized modular batteries. Remote monitoring and control capabilities have been implemented for every component, ensuring efficient operation and performance.
Unlike Chinese carmakers Nio and Xpeng, Ample’s battery-swapping technology is intended to work across manufacturers. The process should “work with any electric vehicle” and be “as cheap as petrol”, Ample announced in an earlier statement.
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