Chinese Electric Vehicle Maker Begins Sales of 100-Second Swappable Batteries

What Happened?

Chinese electric vehicle maker Contemporary Amperex Technologies Company, Limited (CATL) has begun sales of batteries that can be swapped out in one hundred seconds or less. CATL’s newest electric vehicle features ultra-fast charging and starts at under $24,000 as China widens its lead on the global auto industry. 

On May 25, Changan Automobile announced delivery of 1,000 Oshan 520 models, the first electric vehicle (EV) based on CATL’s swappable batteries. Changan also said the new vehicle has already secured over 15,000 orders from clients.

Why it Matters

The ability to fully recharge an electric vehicle in one hundred seconds is a milestone for the EV industry. It means an electric car can now be recharged in the same amount of time it takes to refill the gas tank of a conventional combustion engine vehicle. CATL’s swappable batteries give their vehicle a healthy three-hundred-mile range, meaning the reduced charging time does not come at the expense of the driving range.

CATL claims to have already established dozens of battery swap stations in and around Chongqing, with plans to open hundreds more by the end of 2025. At least six other Chinese automakers have announced plans to partner with CATL in order to put more swappable battery-vehicles on the market soon. 

According to CATL’s website, the company will build 1,000 Choco-Swap stations and will expand into Hong Kong and Macau. In its mid-term plan, CATL will build 10,000 stations together with its partners. As the battery swap ecosystem expands, and through the joint efforts of the whole society, there will be 30,000 Choco-Swap stations in the future. At least in the short-term, battery swap stations will be in China only. Thus far CATL has not announced any plans to introduce battery swap stations abroad.

CATL also claimed its standard battery swap stations are compatible with vehicles with wheelbases ranging from 2.55 meters to 3.1 meters, ‘making them the battery swap stations with the highest wheelbase compatibility in the industry,’ said Yang Jun, CEO of CATL’s battery swapping division. Each standard battery swap station is equipped with 14-30 battery compartments, achieving the highest space utilization rate in the industry. 

Chinese research company SNE data indicates that CATL currently enjoys a dominant lead in the global EV battery market, holding a 28.8% share through the first two months of 2025, up from 26.9% in the same period last year.

How it Affects You

If CATL’s swappable batteries can perform as well as the company claims, it could usher in a new era of EV popularity and sales. That in turn would put pressure on other leaders in the EV market to try to catch up, and it could lead to popular pressure in the U.S. and Europe to try to persuade CATL to export its swappable battery technology overseas.