Tokyo to Trial New 5-Minute EV Battery Swapping System

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Last Updated on: 19th March 2025, 12:10 pm

The EV battery swapping movement has yet to catch on in the US, but it is sure catching fire overseas. In the latest news, the US startup Ample is launching a new venture in Japan, and the Chinese EV battery powerhouses Nio and CATL have joined forces.

A US EV Battery Swapping Innovator Prevails

The iconic electric vehicle maker Tesla was set to launch the US into the forefront of the global EV battery swapping movement more than ten years ago, but CEO Elon Musk opted to drop the battery swapping ball in favor of the company’s Supercharger network, and more recently, other activities.

Their loss was Ample’s gain. The California startup has doggedly pursued the idea that millions of EV drivers will someday be willing to pull into a battery exchange station for a fully automated, 5-minute battery change, easily meeting if not beating the time it takes to fill up a gas  tank or complete an EV charging session.

Battery swapping may seem redundant considering the continual improvement in EV fast charging, but a quick swap-out does give EV drivers and fleet managers an additional, rapid charging option, and it delivers a full charge every time. EV battery swapping stations can also provide monitoring and diagnostic services, ensuring that the battery is in peak condition with every exchange.

While EV charging stations mimic the gasmobile experience to some extent, automated battery swapping systems enable a driver to remain in their vehicle, a big plus for individuals with limited mobility as well as a comfort-centered convenience for everyone.

The advantages also come into sharper view in the context of mass EV adoption. When millions of EVs are on the roads, battery swapping can provide valuable benefits to grid planners as well as drivers and battery swapping firms. That’s because swap-able batteries can be charged slowly, during off-peak hours, potentially taking advantage of lower off-peak electricity rates while alleviating strain on the grid.

Ample has crossed the CleanTechnica radar regularly since busting out in 2021 following a seven-year stint in stealth mode, with the goal of developing an EV battery swapping system that can meet, if not beat, an ultra-fast charging station on speed. A strategic partnership with Mitsubishi, announced last December, signaled a new level of activity for the startup. Mitsubishi had already indicated a keen interest in battery swapping back in 2022, forming partnerships with Bosch and the Chinese swapping firm BPSE.

More EV Battery Swapping For Japan

Ample emailed an embargoed press release to CleanTechnica to bring us up to speed on its work with Mitsubishi last week, and we can finally share. The company has been commissioned to demonstrate a to-be-disclosed number of its EV battery swapping stations in Tokyo.

The initiative is focused on the commercial vehicle market, where drivers and fleet managers are more likely to value a five-minute battery refresh for larger vehicles with bigger battery packs. The Tokyo deployment follows a test run last year in Kyoto, a collaboration between Ample and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation along with the Japanese firm ENEOS Holdings.

“The Kyoto deployment demonstrated core benefits of modular battery swapping for fleet electrification, including fast energy delivery, minimizing fleet operational changes, and a significant decrease in the load on the electric grid by slowly charging the batteries in the station,” Ample explains, drawing attention to the all-important grid factor.

EV Battery Swapping & Autonomous Vehicles

Despite the long history of automotive innovation among legacy Japanese automakers, the driving public in Japan has been relatively slow on the EV uptake. EV battery swapping could help tip the balance by building on the electrification journey of legacy firms with familiar household names.

In addition to the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is also partnering in the Tokyo demonstration. “MMC pioneered one of the world’s first mass-produced EVs and is a trusted mobility provider for urban logistics,” Ample observes.

Ample also notes that its lightweight, all-in-one EV swapping stations are designed for rapid deployment in a matter of days, and its modular batteries are drop-in replacements compatible with any vehicle.

Check out the video below and see if you think battery swapping is a more seamless fit for the autonomous vehicles of the future than conventional EV charging stations. Better, worse, same? Drop a note in the comment thread with your thoughts.

Another element to consider is the virtual power plant movement, in which EV batteries are enlisted to sell excess capacity back to the grid during peak demand periods. As a modularized energy storage system, EV battery swapping stations could be tweaked for both grid storage and swapping. They could also play a role in local microgrids and community solar projects.

Hold On To Your Hats

To the extent that battery swapping can help speed up the pace of EV adoption, hold on to your hats. Earlier this week, the leading Chinese EV battery swapping firm NIO joined forces with CATL in a new strategic partnership, aiming at building a robust battery swapping network for electric passenger cars (see more NIO swapping background here).

Meanwhile, the battery swapping market for electric two-wheelers has already taken off like a rocket, with Africa being among the hotspots.

Here in the US the vehicle electrification picture has become even more politically charged than ever, but don’t be surprised if you see EV battery swapping stations cropping up here, eventually.

In December of 2023, Ample hooked up with Stellantis in new partnership aimed at testing Ample’s 5-minute swap on a fleet of Fiat 500e cars under the umbrella of the car sharing firm Free2move in Spain. “The two companies are also in discussions regarding the expansion of the application of Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping Technology to meet Stellantis fleet and consumer demand across other Stellantis platforms and geographies,” Ample stated.

As for the global outlook, if US policy makers miss the boat, Ample has plenty of potential opportunities elsewhere.

In October the Indian market intelligence firm Astute Analytica ran the numbers on EV battery swapping and came up with an optimistic outlook.

“The electric vehicle battery swapping market is poised for significant growth and opportunity, driven by technological advancements, strategic collaborations, and robust government support,” AA noted, clearly not including the US among that group, at least for now.

“Government policies are also pivotal in driving the market’s growth, with subsidies and incentives making battery swapping more attractive to consumers and businesses,” the firm emphasized.

“As of 2023, the global market value of battery swapping technology is estimated to reach $1.5 billion, highlighting its increasing relevance in the EV industry,” AA continued. In a validation of Ample’s focus on cities, AA took particular note of  “urban areas where time efficiency is crucial.”

Keep an eye on the EU, where the firm has spotted signs of an uptick in EV battery swapping activity in recent months.

Image (screenshot): The US-based EV battery swapping innovator Ample is bringing its lightweight, modular, 5-minute battery exchange system to Tokyo for a trial run (courtesy of Ample).