Stellantis starts integrating swappable battery technology in its fleet of rental electric vehicles. The initial program is set to begin in Spain in 2024 using a fleet of 100 Fiat 500e models within Stellantis’ Free2move car sharing service.

The main reason for Stellantis to embrace swappable batteries is to win over potential customers concerned about range anxiety and long charge times.

Stellantis said it has signed onto a partnership with San Francisco-based developer of swappable electric vehicle (EV) batteries, Ample, which uses an automated process for quickly swapping out depleted batteries for newly charged packs. The companies did not disclose any financial terms on the partnership. Under the partnership, Stellantis’ EV owners will be able to replace their discharged batteries for freshly charged ones within five minutes at one of Ample’s battery swapping stations.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, which has 12 charge stations in San Francisco, said it plans to build nine charge stations in addition to the four it already has in Madrid. Typically, Ample sets up and manages the infrastructure, while fleets that use their services pay for energy use. Their batteries are designed to be a drop-in replacement for an electric vehicle’s original battery. This is made possible by Ample’s modular batteries, which can fit into any electric vehicle, and would allow Stellantis to integrate Ample’s technology without reengineering its vehicle platforms.

In addition, Ample’s light-weight battery swapping stations can be deployed in public areas in as little as three days, allowing for a rapidly scalable infrastructure that can meet drivers’ demand. When an Ample-enabled EV approaches the Ample station, the vehicle is immediately recognized by the station. Once parked inside, the driver initiates the battery swap from the mobile app resulting in a fully charged battery in less than five minutes.

Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping solution is designed to be fast and cost-effective, thereby minimizing the time when electric vehicles are out-of-service, as well as the related financial impacts. Ample’s battery technology would be made available to EV customers on a subscription service basis. This approach would reduce the upfront total cost of the vehicle, as well as allow the customer to benefit from always having the latest battery technology, effectively increasing the EV’s range and lifespan.

Ample is part of a growing group of companies, including Chinese EV makers Nio and Xpeng, trying to revive an old idea to overcome charging hurdles by offering quick battery swaps to EV owners concerned about range anxiety and long charge times.