CATL and Sinochem Partner on EV Charging and Battery Swapping

Sinochem Oil Marketing Co., Ltd. (Sinochem Oil Marketing) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Contemporary Amperex Energy Service Technology Ltd. (CAES), a wholly owned subsidiary of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL), to jointly develop and operate electric vehicle (EV) charging and battery-swapping stations. The partnership aims to integrate battery-swapping services into Sinochem Oil Marketing's existing refueling and charging network, expanding the infrastructure available to support electric mobility in China.

Under the agreement, Sinochem Oil Marketing will contribute station locations, government and corporate liaison support, and customer resources. CAES will take responsibility for constructing the stations, installing battery equipment, managing operations and maintenance, and overseeing commercial activities. The division of responsibilities combines Sinochem Oil Marketing's existing infrastructure and customer network with CAES's battery-swapping equipment and operational capabilities.

As part of the collaboration, selected locations within Sinochem Oil Marketing's network will be upgraded into integrated supercharging and battery-swapping stations. These facilities will provide both charging and battery-swapping services, with the two systems designed to operate in a coordinated manner. The integration is intended to expand the range of energy replenishment options available to EV users while making use of the company's established refueling and charging locations.

Sinochem Oil Marketing operates nearly 2,000 gas stations across 26 provincial-level regions in China, providing an extensive network of locations for the planned infrastructure development. According to the companies' announcement, under equivalent land-area and power-supply conditions, each parking space at an integrated supercharging and battery-swapping station can serve three times as many vehicles as a parking space at a charging-only station. This comparison highlights the potential space and power-utilization advantages of combining the two services.

CATL's Choco-Swap stations also offer an energy-storage function beyond vehicle battery replacement. They can operate as distributed energy storage units, supporting peak shaving and valley filling while facilitating green electricity consumption. This capability adds an energy-management dimension to the partnership, connecting battery-swapping infrastructure with broader electricity-use objectives.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The agreement brings together an established fuel-retail network and a specialist battery-swapping operator to develop integrated EV energy infrastructure in China. Combining charging and battery swapping at existing locations could improve the utilization of available land and power capacity, with the stated threefold vehicle-service capacity per parking space highlighting the potential operational advantage. The distributed energy-storage capability of Choco-Swap stations also extends their role beyond vehicle energy replenishment to electricity-system management through peak shaving and valley filling. The partnership therefore connects EV infrastructure expansion with energy-storage and green electricity consumption objectives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What agreement have Sinochem Oil Marketing and CAES signed?
Sinochem Oil Marketing and CAES have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop and operate electric vehicle charging and battery-swapping stations. CAES is a wholly owned subsidiary of CATL. The collaboration will integrate battery-swapping services into Sinochem Oil Marketing's existing refueling and charging network. Selected locations will also be upgraded into integrated supercharging and battery-swapping stations, allowing both services to operate at the same facilities through coordinated systems.

What responsibilities will Sinochem Oil Marketing and CAES undertake?
Sinochem Oil Marketing will provide sites, government and corporate liaison support, and customer resources, while CAES will manage station construction and operations. CAES will also be responsible for battery equipment installation, operation and maintenance, and commercial activities. This arrangement assigns infrastructure access and stakeholder coordination to Sinochem Oil Marketing, while placing technical deployment and station management responsibilities with CAES under the strategic cooperation agreement.

How extensive is Sinochem Oil Marketing's existing station network?
Sinochem Oil Marketing operates nearly 2,000 gas stations across 26 provincial-level regions in China, providing an established network for the planned infrastructure development. The agreement will use this existing footprint to introduce battery-swapping services alongside conventional refueling and EV charging. Some locations will be upgraded into integrated supercharging and battery-swapping stations, expanding the services available through the company's existing network.

How much more vehicle capacity can integrated stations provide?
Integrated supercharging and battery-swapping stations can serve three times as many vehicles per parking space as charging-only stations under equivalent land-area and power-supply conditions. This comparison was provided in connection with the partnership announcement. It indicates the potential advantage of combining charging and battery swapping within the same site, although the stated capacity comparison is conditional on the availability of equivalent land area and power supply capacity.

What additional functions do CATL's Choco-Swap stations provide?
CATL's Choco-Swap stations can function as distributed energy storage units in addition to providing battery-swapping services for electric vehicles. Their energy-storage capability supports peak shaving and valley filling, helping facilitate green electricity consumption. This means the stations can contribute to electricity management as well as vehicle energy replenishment. These functions form part of the broader energy-related capabilities associated with the battery-swapping infrastructure.