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Is battery swapping a better way to recharge electric cars?

With queues at public charging points getting longer, some companies are opening power swap stations where you can simply exchange your battery for a fully charged one

By Madeleine Cuff

27 February 2024

A Nio power swap station in Shanghai

Mark Andrews / Alamy

The following is an extract from our climate newsletter Fix the Planet. Sign up to receive it for free in your inbox every month.

It’s a cold February evening and your electric car battery is running out of power. You pull off the motorway to the nearest services, but as you near the bank of rapid chargers your heart sinks: a snaking queue of electric vehicles stands between you and that precious plug point.

As EV sales soar, the battle for public charging…

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