Xev has brought the new version of the Yoyo, its small electric city car, to the Paris motor show. But what's really unique about the Italian brand's strategy is that it plans to develop battery exchange stations, to allow customers to drop off their removable battery unit and pick up a charged one. This type of concept has already been put into place by two-wheeler manufacturers in Asia, but remains essentially unheard of in the automotive sector.
The Yoyo is a compact, 100%-electric city car that stands out in a crow, with its futuristic look and bright colours. It can drive at speeds of up to 85 km/h and has a decent range of 150 km, although it is obviously limited to urban use.
However, perhaps the biggest innovation offered by Xev is its system for charging batteries. While it's of course possible to charge up a battery from a public station or a domestic socket, Xev is also making it possible to swap it for a charged model. Xev plans to develop a network of stations so that its customers can quickly and easily replace their batteries. In this configuration, a few minutes are all it takes to take advantage of a fully charged battery that is ready to use.
At the 2022 Paris Motor Show, visitors can check out the brand's latest model of swapping cabinet, which includes an intelligent battery management system that monitors and displays the status of each battery in real time. In Italy, a few stations have already been deployed in partnership with Eni service stations.
This concept of swap stations has recently started to take off in Asia for motorised two-wheelers, such as that of Gogoro, and is slowly starting to arrive in Europe. But for the automotive sector, this is a first. Note that this concept is similar to that envisioned by French newcomer Namx, which also wants to develop this type of station in France for its future hydrogen-powered SUV. – AFP Relaxnews
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