The end of EV charging queues? Fiat trials battery swap stations for its MG4-rivalling 2025 Fiat 500e as it seeks to compete with Chinese giant Nio in Europe

Fiat will trial a battery swapping network in Europe, using a specialised fleet of 2025 Fiat 500e hatchbacks as it looks to rival Nio’s swap station technology

Fiat says the battery swapping stations it plans to roll out from supplier Ample are capable of providing a full battery in less than five minutes - equivalent to the time it might take to refuel a combustion car.

Ample says the swapping stations are three to 10 times cheaper than a fast-charging pylon, and can deliver energy at a cost that's 10 to 20 per cent cheaper than fuel.

The trial will take place in Madrid, which has a higher percentage of EVs on the road than elsewhere in Spain, and it's initially planned to include 100 Fiat 500es which have been modified to work with the Ample station.

The cars will be launched on the car-sharing network Free2move (which is owned by Fiat’s Stellantis parent company) on an initial trial basis, but the collaboration is expected to expand to private customers in the future.

Fiat said the battery swapping technology “addresses key EV challenges by boosting fleet availability, cutting charging times, and reducing reliance on charging infrastructure”.

Ample says its swapping system is modular and capable of providing batteries of all sizes and capacities to match an array of EVs, and not just the Fiats from this trial.

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Going forward, Fiat said the collaboration will help it gain data insights which will “play a crucial role in exploring the large scale implementations” of the swapping tech.

Stellantis is no doubt hoping to secure a position as a rival to Nio, which has thus far been the leader in battery-swapping technology. The Chinese EV-maker already operates thousands of battery swapping stations globally (although most are in China, with a handful in Europe) as a major part of its growing business and global ambitions.

It allows Nio’s electric vehicles a significant point of difference, in that they can be sold at a more affordable price without a battery, with owners paying subscription fees to lease a battery which can then be swapped out at one of the company’s stations. 

For example, in Germany a Nio ET5 sedan can be purchased for €47,500 without a battery, but a standard range battery then costing €169 a month. Alternatively, the same battery can be purchased outright for an additional €12,000.

Fiat and its Stellantis parent company have had a tough year in Australia, with sales down nearly across the board.

The group is now placing its hopes in the hands of a joint-venture start-up out of China, Leapmotor, which has launched with the C10 mid-size SUV in both electric and range-extender hybrid forms.

Although the C10 has yet to make an impact, especially compared to the Geely EX5 which launched at the same time, it will be followed up with the B10 small SUV and likely the C16 large SUV in time. Expect both to follow the same EV and Range Extender variant formula.