A variant of the Ocean all-electric SUV compatible with battery-swapping technology will be available on the market thanks to a collaboration between California-based EV firm Fisker and Ample.
By Q1 2024, the two businesses want to have EVs with swappable battery packs thanks to their combined development efforts.
The first users of the Ample-powered Ocean EVs will be “fleet operators who are looking to transition to electric mobility without economic or operational compromises.” In other words, at least initially, private consumers won’t have access to this version of the car.
According to a report from 2021, Ample’s swappable battery packs are constructed from numerous modules roughly the same size as a shoebox. Ample’s concept, allegedly inspired by Lego blocks, allows practically any EV to obtain a compatible battery that can be exchanged for a freshly-charged one at a swap station instead of the single-pack method.
Keep in mind that the Fisker Ocean EV has received formal certification for sale in Europe, and deliveries will start there on May 5. Additionally, the California-based automaker anticipates that after the approval procedure is finished, it will ship its first cars to the US later this year.
The battery switching mechanism, which replaces a drained battery with a full one in less than 10 minutes, will generate a revenue split between both companies. The American manufacturer claims that the Ocean EVs with swappable power sources would be a good fit for high-mileage drivers, such as those in the ride-hailing industry.
It’s an intriguing strategy that could finally bring this technology to a bigger audience in the United States. To put things in perspective, NIO has changed batteries at its rapid change stations over 20 million times in China and Europe, but this strategy has yet to be successful in the US.
