New EV Makers In China Introduce Battery Swappable Models

Is that because of the available subsidies?

According to a new report from China (via Moneyball), SAIC emerged on the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) subsidy approval list, with two new electric cars capable of battery swapping.

Those two new models are Roewe ER6 (NMC battery chemistry) and Roewe ei5 (LFP battery chemistry).

That would make SAIC the 5th OEM with battery swappable EVs, after NIO, BAIC BJEV, Lifan and SKIO.

We wonder what it really means. Is it a new trend to offer EVs with a battery swap option But why? Because it’s a better solution, or pragmatically to simply qualify for subsidies in more expensive models? Cars with battery swaps can get full subsidies even if the price exceeds 300,000 yuan ($43,350).

Currently, NIO is clearly benefiting from the Chinese policy, while others are trying to lower prices one way or another.

An interesting thing is also that SAIC’s EVs will have two different chemistries – so also two different battery packs. It might complicate or rather make the viability of the battery swap slightly more difficult compared to a single solution.

On the other hand, NIO is offering also various types of packs – 70 kWh and 84 kWh, and soon 100 kWh.

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