Battery size standard diagram for battery swap cabinet

Through the prism of practical situations, the readers can understand what is important in designing swappable batteries including the development of its concept, choosing the optimal form factor, and working out external parts and battery management systems (BMS).

In today's battery swapping systems (BSS) for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, batteries are manipulated by robots. It helps to eliminate risks inevitable in manual swapping such as falling, vandalism or theft. In other aspects, the aforementioned principles are applicable.

Unlike fixed batteries that can be redesigned with each new generation of vehicles, swappable batteries inherit outer design, power output and data exchange protocols of their precursors for maximum utilization purposes. It's typical of swap operators to mix modern batteries into their stocks of older ones and offer them at different prices.

Moreover, owing to mini-modules, Ample has developed the most compact swap station in the market, the size of one parking lot. Interestingly, a few months ago, battery manufacturer CATL entered the swapping market with a form factor called Choco Pack sited in between full-size batteries and Ample's minis.

Italia-based XEV offers the heaviest manually swapped batteries known by now, supposed to be handled by service assistants not customers. In today's battery swapping systems (BSS) for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, batteries are manipulated by robots.

At the current level of chemistry development, each holds about 3 kWh. A single battery is key to very fast swaps, as short as one minute, achieved by the Chinese companies. On the other hand, Ample's small modules allow for much flexibility in regards to a vehicle's size.