Powerswap AB, a Swedish start-up, believes it has come up with a radical solution for charging electric vehicles (EVs). Instead of connecting the cord and waiting for the car to be charged, the battery is replaced with the help of a robotic device in just three minutes.

The technical concept was created with the goal of using the already well-established refuelling infrastructure of petrol stations. "It is better if we do not have to establish a completely new infrastructure just because we want to use EVs instead of fossil fuel cars. By installing robotic swap units at petrol stations and parking lots, we will gain a cost-efficient solution for the transition to a dominant electric transport sector," said Sten Corfitsen, founder of Powerswap.

Powerswap says the advantages of automatic battery swap include: no time needed for charging so the car is not out of use during charging; the EV can be sold without the battery, which will make the price of an EV less than that of a fossil fuel car (the battery will be leased and can be renewed when new technology is available); an infra-structure will be built without the need for public charging poles; stress on the battery is reduced, as batteries are given a suitable amount of time for charging.

00 46 8 22 40 00www.powerswap.se