Fast-rising EV powerhouse NIO and energy giant Shell have partnered to develop the first EV battery swap station in Europe. The alliance between NIO and Shell is viewed in some quarters as an uncommon alliance because Shell is known for petroleum-based energy solutions while NIO continues to churn sustainability-oriented vehicles. However, the dutch giant has in recent times shown interest in renewable energy which saw it launched a couple of products, including an e-scooter, last year.

NIO Shell swap station

The EV battery swap station is located in the Netherlands and it can perform 312 swaps per day. The new NIO-Shell battery swap station provides added capabilities to motorists who will access its services. When put in perspective, the new swap station is far more effective than a similarly-sized Tesla SuperCharger platform that supports only about 40 cars per day. NIO announced its partnership with Shell back in 2021 and it already has a number of swap stations in China. The charge station will be able to charge 13 batteries at a time at a rate of 20-80kW per hour.

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The Shell-NIO charge station will witness fewer queues due to its speed at charging. It is not NIO’s first charging station in Europe but the first it is partnering with Shell. The choice of the Netherlands to kickstart the program could also be symbolic. There are already more than 16 NIO swap stations across Europe in addition to a sprinkling of charging stations.

The Shell-NIO collaboration will deliver up to 100 battery swap stations in China by 2025. NIO also expects to see a rise in its battery swap stations both in the Netherlands and Europe in the next couple of years.

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