What is battery swapping and could it help make EVs more popular?

China will see a massive expansion of electric vehicle battery swapping as global battery maker CATL says it will invest heavily in stations there next year.

Battery swapping is not new but the technology presents several challenges.

Electric vehicle adoption varies across the globe and that doesn't always bode well for building new infrastructure.

While the technology could do well in China, it's uncertain whether it could work in other countries.

Battery swapping allows EV drivers to pull into a station with a low battery and receive a swapped, fully charged battery within minutes.

An EV has to be equipped with the right technology to swap and not many models around the world currently have it.

Automakers have to buy into the idea, and EV adoption among consumers also has to grow so that investing in new infrastructure seems worthwhile. Consumers also have to be comfortable with not owning their battery.

China is much further along in adopting EVs than other countries.

Not only is it the world's largest auto market, but in July, the country hit a milestone with 50 per cent of new sales electric and it accounts for most of this year's global EV sales.

China supports EV growth through government subsidies and mandates.

Therefore, it makes more sense for companies to invest in unique EV infrastructure because that's more likely to be needed.

Startup Ample, for example, has a modular battery swapping station that it says can complete a swap in 5 minutes.

That’s important as charging time remains a point of concern for prospective EV buyers. Even the fastest fast chargers could take at least 15 minutes for a decent charge.

In the US, pure EVs only accounted for 8 per cent of new vehicle sales as of November.

Nio, a rival Chinese EV