Driverless vehicles to lift battery swapping

Visitors check out NIO charging piles during an international automobile expo in Changchun, Jilin province, in July. In May, Baidu unveiled its sixth-generation robotaxi services in Wuhan, Hubei province, with the autonomous vehicles operating using a battery swapping system, utilizing standardized battery packs and smart battery swapping stations from a subsidiary of GCL Energy Technology Co Ltd. Each vehicle autonomously schedules visits to these stations based on service status, location data, and battery levels, completing a rapid battery swap upon arrival to maximize operational efficiency. The rapid commercialization and deployment of autonomous ride-hailing and taxi services are expected to drive demand for battery swapping, CITIC Securities said in a report. Baidu said the decision to use battery swapping for its robotaxis stemmed from its full automation compared to the manual handling required for battery charging services, resulting in savings on labor costs. CITIC Securities anticipates robust growth of the battery swapping sector, driven by proactive efforts throughout the supply chain and promising prospects for battery swapping in taxis and heavy vehicles.