CATL unveils battery packs for battery swapping
The chocolate battery packs 20# and 25# offiially go by the name of Choco-SEB (Swapping Electric Blocks). The smaller version, the 20#, is intended for class A0 vehicles, meaning (for China) cars with a wheelbase of 2.2 to 2.3 metres. The Choco-SEB can provide up to 500 kilometres of range according to the CLTC cycle.
The larger 25# battery was designed for class A and B vehicles (wheelbase of up to 2.9 metres) and will provide a CLTC range of up to 600 kilometres, according to CATL. Both battery packs do indeed look like chocolate bars – but more importantly, they support LFP and NMC chemistry.
As the batteries are intended for swapping, standardisation is key. “We will continue to promote the standardisation of battery swapping, and the most important thing is the standardisation of battery size,” CATL CEO Robin Zheng is quoted as saying by Chinese media outlets. He believes battery swap will cover one-third of EVs’ energy needs by 2030.
The Choco-SEB was first mentioned in 2022 when CATL subsidiary CAES (Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology) presented a battery replacement solution called Evogo. As per report in 2022, a station has the size of about three parking spaces and can hold up to 48 Choco-SEBs. Since the announcement, companies such as Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile, Aiways and ride-hailing provider Didi have signed on.
As mentioned above, CATL wants to set up 1,000 battery swap stations in China in 2025. It will build these first units itself, while partners will build the following 10,000 swapping stations, says Car News China. CATL’s ultimate goal is to operate 30,000 swapping stations in China, though it does not mention a date.
Moreover, the battery manufacturer said at the Choco-SEB presentation that as many as ten vehicles supporting CATL’s battery swap system would launch in 2025. These are:
- Changan Oshan 520
- GAC Aion S
- Hongqi E-QM5
- SAIC Roewe D7
- BAIC C66
- Wuling Bingo
- Wuling Starlight
- SAIC Rising F7
- SAIC Maxus Mifa 9
- SAIC Maxus Dana
CATL also named prices for its battery swapping model:
| 20# battery Choco-SEB (travel plan) | 20# battery Choco-SEB (family plan) | 25# battery Choco-SEB (travel plan) | 25# battery Choco-SEB (family plan) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 52 kWh NMC | 42 kWh LFP | 70 kWh NMC | 56 kWh LFP |
| Price | 469 yuan/month (61 euros/month) | 369 yuan/month (48 euros/month) | 599 yuan/month (78 euros/month) | 499 yuan/month (65 euros/month) |
| Mileage | unlimited | 3,000 km | unlimited | 3,000 km |
| CLTC Range | up to 500 km | up to 500 km | up to 600 km | up to 600 km |
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