Stellantis will offer a full electric car battery in just five minutes, simply replace it – News

The Stellantis concern is likely to become the first Western car company to offer wait-and-see battery replacement technology. It will be made possible by the newly concluded cooperation with the company Ample, which operates this technology.

The new partners plan to first equip the 100-strong fleet of Fiat 500e electric cars operated by the car-sharing company Free2move in Madrid, Spain, with exchangeable battery technology in 2024. The bet on the 500e model is no accident, it is the best-selling electric car of the Stellantis concern.

Ample’s new modular batteries have been adapted to be used as a direct replacement for the original Stellantis batteries. In the future, it should then be possible to use Ample batteries in other models of the Stellantis concern without the need for any intervention in the platform.

Changing the battery should only take five minutes and takes place in special facilities that resemble a garage. At the same time, the company Ample allegedly only needs three days to build them.

The exchange process begins the moment the car approaches the device. The car is automatically recognized and after entering the “garage” the process is activated by the driver via a mobile phone application. At the same time, the battery exchange service could work on a subscription basis, which could reduce the price of the electric cars themselves.

“Partnering with Ample is another example of how Stellantis is exploring all the ways to enable our customers to enjoy the freedom of EV mobility,” said Ricardo Stamatti, Stellantis Senior Vice President of Charging and Energy.

“In addition to other projects we are focused on, Ample’s modular battery swap solution has the potential to offer our customers greater energy efficiency, superior performance and less range anxiety. We look forward to implementing the launch program with our stellar Fiat 500e,” added Stamatti.