GUANGZHOU — China’s top auto battery maker, Contempor Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), plans to build thousands of stations that can replace an electric-vehicle battery with a fresh one in about as much time as it takes to fill a tank of gasoline.
The swapping stations are box-shaped facilities that resemble car washes. Drivers park in a designated spot, and their car is lifted off the ground. An automated cart slides under the vehicle, removes the depleted battery and inserts a fully charged one.
