Stellantis Partners With Ample To Provide Battery Swaps For EVs

Stellantis and Ample have signed a binding agreement to establish a partnership in electric vehicle (EV) battery charging technology capable of delivering a fully charged EV battery in less than five minutes. The two partners have agreed to work toward integrating Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping solution in Stellantis electric vehicles. Battery swapping technology allows an … (read full article...)

 

[Moparound]

THIS is the technology that I've been waiting for and 'should' be a game-changer if certain matters are worked-out I would think(?). However, there are still questions and concerns. Such as: 1. Will there be a 'battery size standard' that fit across several platforms or multiple sizes? 2. If multiple sizes, will more that one battery swap be necessary say for a RAM vs. a Fiat 500 or ? 3. What will cost for these batteries that swap-in once the dust settles? Will Stellantis be able to negotiate with other manufacturers to standardize batteries so that what fits 'brand-x' fits a Stellantis vehicle so that 'battery stations' can supply multiple brands and vehicles?

I realize this is in the beginning stages, but, if it were me, I'd want to get it correct right off the bat as the public is not really buying in to the electric revolution much yet from what am reading and seeing. Just saying.

 

[patfromigh]

I suspect that this battery swap concept will be successful with the smaller EVs such as the Jeep Avenger, Fiat 500e and 600. The Ample website does show a battery swap on a Mitsubishi-Fuso eCanter, so the venture does show larger vehicles. The operation is starting off in Europe, and so far all we have is the Fiat 500e due next spring.

The Fiat Centoventi concept hinted at battery swapping. Smaller battery electrics are ideal for urban use and if Stellantis offers products with battery swapping, it will open the market up for apartment dwellers. Speaking of the Centoventi concept, as much as I like the concept, it is too small to play on North American roads. I would like to see a vehicle of similar styling to the Centoventi, but in the size of the departed Fiat 500L. The departure of the Chevy Bolt left a hole in the market, an affordable EV which offers battery swapping capability would fill that void if it is sized right for our market.