Ample, a San Francisco-based company, has raised $160 million in its Series C funding to expand its swappable, modular electric vehicle battery system. Ample is attempting to revive an old concept of leapfrogging charging difficulties by providing speedy battery swaps to EV owners.
The Ample battery swap station aims to eliminate the need for charging. The battery swap can be completed within 10 minutes. When the station is not actively swapping batteries, it can function as an energy storage pod for renewable energy. Currently, Ample is operating five battery swapping stations in San Francisco. The financial backers of Ample include Shell, Repsol, Japan’s Eneos , and Thailand’s PTT.
