Profound effect
Nio and Lotus are going to work together. This should, among other things, lead to electric Lotuses that can get a new battery from a Nio Power Swap Station.
This step is not entirely surprising, because Lotus is of course automatically involved in a previously announced deal between parent company Geely and Nio. At the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, the Lotus brand name will be mentioned for the first time in the context of this collaboration, which initially appears to focus on Geely products in higher segments.
Geely is not the only company that will collaborate with Nio to enable battery swapping, as the same was previously announced for Changan. Such a collaboration mainly means that the partner in question will have to use Nio’s batteries and most likely also platforms, otherwise the impressive but complex swap machine will never be able to handle such a car. In a Nio Power Swap Station you can exchange an empty battery for a full one in just a few minutes, for a small fee plus a very reasonable rate per ‘recharged’ kWh. In the switching station, the empty batteries are charged based on the availability of power, so these stations immediately serve as a buffer for the power grid.
The possibility of battery swapping entails a number of complications, which we will also encounter in the future with the Lotus models involved. To start with, it is necessary that the customer does not buy the battery, but leases it. He or she can exchange the battery for another one at any time. In addition, a limited number of universal batteries must be used. Nio currently offers batteries of 75 and 100 kWh in European switching stations, which can be used in all models of the brand.
The collaboration between Lotus and Nio not only concerns battery changes, but also charging stations. The two brands also want to expand together in this area, at least in China.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl