Keep pulling the thread on Fiat 500E.
Ample's automated battery swapping technology allows an electric vehicle to be fully recharged in approximately five minutes.
Ample's battery swapping station is designed to be compatible with a wide range of vehicles, from a small Fiat 500E to a class 3 E-counter truck.
Ample's technology uses an adapter plate and modular battery system that serves as a drop-in replacement for a vehicle's original battery, requiring no modifications to the car itself.
Ample's battery system is designed to be "future compatible," allowing for the introduction of new battery chemistries that will work with both existing and future vehicles using their platform.
Ample's current go-to-market strategy is focused on serving commercial fleets, such as delivery and rideshare services.
Ample is using its focus on commercial fleets as a "Trojan horse" strategy to build out its infrastructure network before expanding to serve individual consumers.
Ample's battery swapping stations can charge batteries slowly using intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar, and can also provide backup power to the grid during periods of high demand.
Ample is currently operating its battery swapping stations in Spain and Japan.
Ample's co-founder Halet believes their primary competition is the established gasoline refueling infrastructure, not other EV charging methods.
Ample's modular battery system allows a Fiat 500D to hold six battery modules, while a Mitsubishi Fuso E-Cantor truck can be configured with 8, 16, or 24 modules.
Ample's co-founder Halet argues that liquid-cooled, high-speed EV chargers are inherently inefficient as they waste energy dissipating the heat generated from the exothermic charging reaction.
Depleted batteries removed by Ample's stations are charged slowly in racks, which avoids the high power draw and inefficiency of fast charging.