U Power Limited revealed its battery-swapping and sharing model for two-wheeled and light four-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) is set for a formal commercial rollout in Wuhu, Anhui Province, China. The rollout, which is expected to take place in April, follows a successful round of market validations in February, U Power Limited said. As part of this expansion, U Power said it plans to establish 60 power-swapping service points which will cater to over 800 customers.

The battery-swapping and sharing technology for two-wheeled and light four-wheeled EVs involves the use of identical battery cells and packaging methods. The battery packs for both types of EVs are stored in a single battery-swapping station (BSS). When customers need to swap batteries, they can take one to two battery modules for two-wheeled EVs, or four to eight modules for light four-wheeled EVs, U Power said. The battery-swapping process has the user verify their identity at the BSS with their mobile phone and then follow a series of simple prompts to access and swap their batteries, according to U Power.