Nio is seen testing its latest generation of battery swap stations in China. These stations are already equipped with a “virtual power plants” feature and can supply energy back to the local grid. The changes come as the country has been having energy blackouts recently due to record temperatures.
Furthermore, NIO is a Chinese technology company specializing in premium EVs that is now starting to expand outside of China into new markets in Europe. In addition to providing an all-electric range of SUVs and sedans, NIO remains at the forefront of implementing battery swap technology to support its EVs. The automaker currently has over 1,000 swap stations in China alone, has begun implementing them in its newer markets overseas, and may even license the technology to other automakers as well.
During its “NIO Power Day” event held in early July, the automaker introduced its third-generation swap station which will deliver more battery capacity and a more flexible layout. At the time, NIO states that those stations are nearing their end of development and are being tested before installations begin in late 2022/early 2023.
Stored batteries
NIO also shared that with its next-gen swap stations, it was already testing the use of stored batteries to provide power back to the grid below with plans to implement the technology into application scenarios in the future. With its latest social media post, NIO has shared the progress of this swap station energy-sharing technology, as well as its expansion goals in the future.
In response to large-scale power cuts in China to combat record high temperatures limiting the effectiveness of hydro and wind power, NIO has begun testing energy discharges back to local grids through its swap stations. In a recent Weibo post, the Chinese company explains it can help combat peak energy demands from people’s homes and the growing number of EVs on roads in two steps. One is to facilitate orderly charging at times demand is on peaks or fills valleys. Another is that this is a potentially game-changing factor.
“At this time, the advantages of the power station are extremely prominent. It can be directly connected to the dispatching center of the power grid through the private network, accept power grid dispatching instructions, achieve minute-level or even second-level power response, and efficiently participate in frequency regulation.” Nio stated. According to NIO, its current swap stations are equipped with thirteen battery packs, combining for a calculated energy storage capacity of 600-700 kWh at any time.
