Main content:
In addition to automobiles, electric two-wheelers are also widely purchased and used because they are fast, free from traffic restrictions, and do not have traffic jams. Many families also buy an electric motorcycle for their daily work and school. But after a long ride, battery life is a problem.
If you sometimes forget to charge, you may face the embarrassment of running out of power halfway through. And now, with the advent of the intelligent era, there are smart battery swap cabinets on the roadside.
1. Definition of battery swap station
The battery swap station is also known as battery swap, which is an energy station that provides rapid replacement for power batteries in electric two-wheel and three-wheel vehicles.
Battery swapping is a faster way. In this way, instead of plugging into a charging socket, you can simply replace a fully charged battery. The process is very simple. We just need to take the existing battery from the electric motorcycle, put in a new one, store the exhausted battery and finally pay.
This completes the process of charging the vehicle using the battery swap mode. The entire replacement process takes only 2-3 minutes, mimicking the experience of existing gas stations.
2. What are the problems encountered in the battery swap mode
- Compliance
First of all, in order to meet the needs of takeaway practitioners, the battery-swapping batteries currently operating in the market are mainly 60V and 72V high-capacity batteries.
Some cars are assembled from retired battery cells, which do not meet the requirements, and there are also hidden dangers to safety. In battery swapping stations business model, if the battery is replaced with a battery other than the vehicle certificate, it will not be able to be used normally.
- Versatility
As we all know, the current situation of the electric bicycle and battery industry is that there are many brands and different standards. For the battery swap mode, if you want to promote it in a large area and let more users choose to replace the charge, the versatility of the battery for different brands of vehicles is very important.
This also requires the battery to be unified in terms of communication protocol, specification size, charging and discharging interface, etc. The relative adaptability of the vehicle's electrical system, the size of the battery compartment, the SOC display, etc., also needs to be unified according to the characteristics of the corresponding battery.
- Coverage
As an electric bicycle with a larger number of holdings and a higher frequency of use and replenishment, the battery swap mode has higher requirements for the number of battery swap cabinets and 12v 100ah lithium ion batteries and the density of points under the condition of ensuring the convenience of users.
Therefore, the battery swap mode is faced with the need for heavy asset investment and a long return cycle.
3. Difference between a smart battery swapping cabinet and a charging pile
- Working with objects
The main object of use of the smart battery swapping cabinet is the 12 volt 200ah lithium battery. The charging pile is generally used to charge electric motorcycles, which refers to outdoor power supply equipment equipped to meet the charging requirements.
- Use of the area of the site
Smart battery swapping cabinets are generally used in takeaway distribution outlets, logistics outlets, residential streets, schools, hospitals and other electric vehicle management offices, parking lots and other public places with electric vehicle charging needs.
Charging stations can be fixed in parking lots, plazas and other places where electric vehicles can be parked. So the difference between the two is also in the use of the site.
Compared with the battery swapping cabinet, the traditional charging pile occupies a large area. As a result, there is tension and contradiction in the use of public areas.
Compared to the small footprint of the battery swapping cabinet, the safe and efficient separation of vehicles and electricity can save a lot of public resources in the community.
- Flexibility
The cabinet can be reasonably arranged according to actual use, and electric vehicles can be effectively dispersed and gathered. Charging piles are more fixed.
- Security features
Compared to charging outside without any protection, charging in a cabinet equipped with safety measures is much safer. In the event of a fire, fire extinguishing is carried out immediately in the warehouse. Avoid fire extensions.
- Inclusivity
The charging pile can be used for any electric vehicle and any battery, and the maximum size of the warehouse should be less than the maximum size to be charged in the battery swap cabinet.
In general, the compartment size is designed to be suitable for charging most batteries. In addition, compared with charging cabinets and charging piles, the battery swapping cabinet can only charge and replace the lithium battery that has been bound to the cabinet, and the inclusiveness is relatively low.
4. The development of battery swapping from the perspective of the market
In order to better promote the implementation of the battery swap mode, and at the same time meet the compliance and demand, and truly solve the battery swap station safe problem as well as electric bicycles, there are several problems that need to be solved in the current market situation:
- Standards come first
Influential top 10 lithium battery companies in the world and battery swap operation platforms will formulate unified battery swap industry standards, such as relevant technical specifications for battery swap vehicles, batteries, and battery swap cabinets.
- Pilot first and then promote
The battery swap mode involves a wide range of issues, and it is foreseeable that many problems will be exposed in operation. Some areas can be selected to pilot first, summarize experience, and then do further promotion.
- Focus on operating vehicles
At present, the battery swap mode is more suitable in the "instant logistics" industry, such as takeaway and express delivery, which has a certain foundation and is also the most feasible.
5. Conclusion
From the current point of view, battery swapping is only applied in specific scenarios and regions, and in order to become a mainstream mode, compatibility and coverage issues need to be solved.
Because of the low price, the wide coverage of charging stations, and the perfect use process and after-sales process are relatively mature, the charging pile is more convenient for our lives.
The battery swap mode is one of the additional ways for users to charge themselves. In the "instant logistics" scenario, it may play a positive role in standardizing the management of the electric bicycle industry and solving safety problems.
Related articles: battery swap station failure, battery swap station site selection, battery swapping stations near me