The Chinese manufacturer NIO files several new patents related to its battery swap station, indicating its possible specs for the next generation of the facility, according to CnEVPost.
The three patents published earlier this month present that NIO’s next-generation battery swap station will be able to store more battery packs and have greater compatibility to serve vehicles with various pack sizes.
Battery swap station’s capacity
One of the patent documents indicates that the new station will be able to store up to 22 batteries.
The company’s initial 200 battery swap stations are first-gen facilities with up to five batteries and a maximum of 120 daily service capacity.
The company set its first second-gen battery swap station into operation in April 2021, with storage of up to 13 batteries and a daily service capacity maximum of 312.
NIO’s battery swap station
In addition, the recent patent shows that the new battery swap station’s design will address the battery compartment’s problem of untimely cooling of abnormal batteries.
“When the system detects that the battery on the battery rack is at risk, it can first transport the risky battery to the support part and continuously monitor the risky battery.” as shown in the patent’s description.
“When the risky battery becomes abnormal, the support part releases the risky battery and the battery can quickly fall into the cooling chamber below, allowing the abnormal battery to be handled in a timely manner and reducing safety risks.”
Furthermore, per a separate patent document, the new battery swap station is expected to have greater compatibility to support various sizes and battery packs.
With specific settings for various battery sizes, the locking and unlocking mechanism can be moved to equal the different battery sizes, according to the patent description.
In that way, the battery swap device could disassemble and install several power batteries of various sizes, improving the swap device’s compatibility, according to the description.
Moreover, according to third-party patent documents, NIO’s new version of the battery swap station will have a charging and storage compartment. The system will determine the target compartment for a battery automatically, hence improving charging efficiency.
In late August and early September, these patent documents were filed and made public earlier this month. Currently, the legal status is preliminary examination eligible.
NIO Power Day event on July 6
At the second NIO Power Day event hosted on July 6, NIO president and co-founder Qin Lihong teased the company’s third-gen battery swap station, stating it will have a more flexible layout and larger capacity.
“NIO’s third-generation battery swap station was nearing the end of its development and was being tested and will be detailed by the end of the year or early next year,” said Qin.
New battery swap station in China
According to the company, it has set one new battery swap station into operation in China, putting the total to 1,211.
1,300 total facilities by the end of 2022
The automaker aims to bring the total facilities to more than 1,300 by the end of 2022.
Notably, the automaker has 2,060 charging stations, providing 11,876 charging piles in China.
