Ample Expands EV Battery Swapping Globally as China Ramps Up Stations
Ample is bringing its electric vehicle battery-swapping technology to Madrid and Japan through new fleet partnerships. The startup's growth highlights a stark contrast with China, where massive investments are driving thousands of new swapping stations.
The electric vehicle industry focuses heavily on charging networks, but startup Ample leads a quiet push for battery swapping in the United States. The San Francisco-based company brings dead batteries back to full life in just a few minutes, avoiding the long wait times associated with traditional plug-in chargers.
Ample currently expands its global footprint by deploying swapping stations in Madrid through a partnership with Repsol and ride-sharing giant Uber. The company also prepares to enter the Japanese market alongside Eneos, specifically targeting ride-sharing, car-sharing, and last-mile delivery fleets rather than individual consumer vehicles.
This gradual, partnership-driven approach contrasts sharply with the aggressive strategy in China, where the government and companies like Nio and Geely plan to build 24,000 battery-swapping stations by 2025. Ample's co-founder notes that scaling fast-charging infrastructure proves much harder than people realize, making modular battery swapping an increasingly attractive alternative for commercial fleets.