Stellantis Partners Ample to Introduce EV Battery Swap Stations

Multinational automotive conglomerate Stellantis has partnered with US-based battery manufacturer Ample to introduce and develop a new EV battery swap station network. Set to go live in Europe later in 2024, the firm claims this swap station is able to fit a fully-charged battery into an EV in under five minutes.

This partnership sees Stellantis utilising Ample’s modular battery-swapping technology for both the Stellantis’ EV models and the battery swap station. For its initial phase, a fleet of 1,000 Fiat 500e EVs in Madrid will be equipped with swappable batteries by Ample, set to be rolled-out of Spain’s capital later in 2024.

Aside from the Fiat 500e initial fleet, this battery swapping tech will be also introduced on other EV models under Stellantis' big umbrella

With a drive to provide a fully-charged EV battery “as fast and convenient as refuelling with petrol”, these modular batteries have been designed as a drop-in replacement for the conventional fixed battery packs used on many other EVs. With Ample’s batteries capable of fitting into all kinds of EVs, Stellantis is also planning to expand the usage of this battery tech to other marques under its umbrella, including Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen, and even Maserati.

Commenting on this new partnership, Stellantis senior VP of the Charging and Energy Business Unit Ricardo Smatatti said, “The partnership with Ample is another example of how Stellantis is exploring all avenues that enable freedom of mobility for our electric vehicle customers.”

“In addition to other projects we are focused on, Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping solution has the opportunity to offer our customers greater energy efficiency, outstanding performance, and lower range anxiety. We are looking forward to executing the initial programme with our stellar Fiat 500e,” the senior VP added.

More importantly, these battery-swapping stations can be rolled-out rather quickly compared to setting up a DCFC, with Ample claiming that a station can be set-up in just three working days. The San Francisco-based tech firm also added that the swapping process is quite straightforward, with the whole operation being done via a dedicated mobile app.

“At Ample, we believe in the importance of making electric vehicles accessible to everyone without compromises, which is the only way that we will make a significant impact on lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” Ample CEO Khaled Hassounah said.

“The combination of offering compelling electric vehicles that can also receive a full charge in less than five minutes will help remove the remaining impediments to electric vehicle adoption. We look forward to working with Stellantis to deploy our joint solution across communities around the world.”

Will this battery-swapping solution make its way beyond the European and American markets?

With this service can be made available on a subscription basis, both Stellantis and Ample are discussing the possibility of implementing this battery swapping solution beyond the European markets, in-line with the firm’s goal to “meet Stellantis fleet and consumer demand across other Stellantis platforms and geographies.”