Swapping instead of charging: technotrans develops cooling solutions for Power Swap Stations by NIO

 "We were able to convince NIO thanks to your technological expertise and our compelling track record, and we are proud to support this future-oriented project," says Andreas Seifert, Business Development Direct at technotrans and responsible for the Asian market. This order has the potential of becoming the starting point for a long-term, close cooperation with NIO.

The prototype made by technotrans is already successfully being used in a Power Swap Station made by NIO. The Chinese manufacturer set up the first station on European soil in Oslo. This location has been chosen because of Norway’s pioneering role in the field of electromobility and sustainability. Starting in Scandinavia, the Chinese manufacturer plans further expansion on the European market by 2025 with a total of 1,000 Power Swap Stations. By the end of the year, 50 new systems will have been installed in locations throughout Europe.

Core component: cooling solutions made by technotrans

The users drive their vehicles into the station for swapping the battery. Inside the station, a robot with state-of-the-art sensors replaces the discharged battery with a charged one. The cooling system is an essential element for ensuring the correct operation of the Power Swap Station. Without it, the batteries would overheat while being charged in the station. "Every battery is unique. Inside the stations, the robots remove old, new, semi-charged as well as completely discharged batteries which need to be charged afterwards. This is why every battery has different cooling requirements," explains Seifert.

Due to these special circumstances, it became clear that a customised solution was needed. technotrans demonstrated its expertise and developed a solution that was precisely tailored to this need. It features a CE quality mark and a cooling capacity up to 22 kW based on a glycol/water mixture. The development process with a strong focus on the energy efficiency of the bespoke solution started approximately one year ago. The battery swapping station is supplied with power by way of the energy stored in the swapped batteries and operates completely self-sufficiently. However, the ongoing innovation process does not stop here: The plan is to complete the entire swap in only three minutes instead of five.

Successful installation of the prototype in Oslo

"Supporting this innovative energy transition project in Europe is perfectly in line with our sustainability strategy," says Michael Finger, spokesman of the board of technotrans SE. "With our cooling solutions, we promote the ongoing electrification efforts, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of our customers." The cooperation partner of technotrans is the Shanghai-based company Swap, which is specialised in the production and distribution of vehicle batteries and part of the NIO group.

NIO has ambitious plans: The plan is to offer the fully automatic swapping of batteries in car parks and at petrol stations. With the opening of the 700th swapping station in China at the end of 2021, the company has shown how fast the expansion of the network can be realised considering that the project was first launched in Asia in 2018. Following a strategic partnership with a large petrol station chain, the expansion is expected to gain even more momentum. The company plans to open an additional 100 battery swapping stations in China by 2025. As far as Europe is concerned, the first pilot stations will be integrated into the existing network of petrol stations throughout 2022. Meanwhile, additional opportunities for cooperation, e.g. in the battery asset and fleet management sector as well as in view of home battery charging solutions, are currently under assessment.