Ample & Repsol Launch Battery Swapping at Madrid Gas Stations, Expanding EV Infrastructure
Madrid, Spain – EV battery swapping technology has arrived at conventional gas stations in Spain, thanks to a new partnership between Ample and energy company Repsol. The first station opened in Montecarmelo, Madrid, with additional locations planned for Avenida de Andalucía and Barajas in the coming weeks.This expansion builds upon Ample’s existing station on Manuel Luna Street and marks a significant step in diversifying EV charging options.
The rollout follows Ample’s recent launch in tokyo earlier this year and its announcement in June of entering the European market with Madrid as its first city. The project received funding support from the Spanish government.
Repsol’s investment in Ample, through its corporate venturing arm, aligns with the company’s broader strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
A key component of the Madrid deployment involves Stellantis’ car-sharing service, Free2Move. The service is utilizing a fleet of 100 Fiat 500e vehicles specifically adapted to work with Ample’s battery swapping system, ensuring high vehicle availability and uptime.”In a few weeks,there will be 100 fiat 500s driving around Madrid and recharging at the Montecarmelo,Avenida Andalucía,and Barajas stations,” stated oliver Fernández,director of Electric mobility at Repsol,in a linkedin post.
Ample’s technology allows for a full “recharge” – a battery swap – in approximately five minutes. The modular, vehicle-agnostic system replaces depleted battery packs with fully charged ones automatically, without requiring driver intervention. Ample highlights the system’s suitability for high-usage fleets in urban environments, noting installations can be completed in as little as three days.
Unlike some battery swapping stations, such as those developed by Nio which require vehicles to back in, Ample’s latest station design allows vehicles to drive straight through, making it notably well-suited for commercial applications.
