China: BAIC to launch battery-swap EV

Beijing Automobile Group plans to introduce an all-electric vehicle with a replaceable battery next year, reports TechOn. The OEM, which recently changed its name from Beijing Automotive Industry Holding (BAIC), displayed the C71 EV model at the 25th World Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS25). It is expected to carry a Yuan 300,000 (US$45,170) price tag when it arrives on the market in 2011.

The C71 EV seats five and has a range of 150km on a full charge. According to the OEM, the battery can be replaced in five minutes. The 22kWh battery pack was developed by Beijing Pride Power Systems. It contains 10 modules, each of which consists of 10 cells. A water-cooled permanent-magnet three-phase synchronous motor offers output of 60kW and torque of 160Nm. The car has a top speed of 160km/hr.

The battery swap approach to EVs, as opposed to the on-board charging approach, is generally aimed at high-mileage users with a daily trip longer than the comfortable range of a single charge. However, there are still many concerns over issues such as battery standardization. A battery swap station would need to carry different battery designs and shapes, depending on the variety of the EV fleet.

Better Place is one of the more well-known supporters of the battery-swap approach. The company is conducting road trials of a switchable battery, electric taxi in Japan and the US. Better Place aims to launch networks of charging and battery-switching infrastructure in its first two markets, Israel and Denmark, in late 2011. It will begin its initial network deployment in Canberra, Australia in late 2011 as part of a nationwide infrastructure roll out.